Eternal Silence
by Shadow of Midnight
Summary: Sakura would do anything to help her best friend, Temari. But Temari doesn't want help for herself but for her abused younger brother. Can Sakura rise to the challenge? Abuse warning
1. Chapter 1

Warning: Abuse and slight Sasuke and Karin bashing later on

**Warning: Abuse and slight Sasuke and Karin bashing later on. You have been warned. **

**I don't own Naruto. Seriously…**

Chapter 1

Sakura sat in the hall outside her room at the orphanage. The pink-haired teen stared at the door. It had a number on it, Number 12. Under it Sakura and her roommate had written their names. Now it said Sakura in pretty pink flowing writing and it said Temari in spiky black lettering. Her roommate, who Sakura thought of as her sister, was an open Goth. Sakura assumed it was from her childhood. She didn't know much about Temari besides the fact that she ran away from home when she was eight, she was now 17, and the family she had lived with before had been physically abusive. She didn't even know her last name.

Sakura hadn't known that until she had moved into the orphanage.

That was the problem. Temari had realized as soon as she met Sakura, who was then in 6th grade, that the girl was verbally abused. Temari had befriended her, spied on her and made certain. She told the head of the orphanage. Sakura had been taken from her home and sent to the orphanage. She and Temari had always shared a room. Even though Sakura hung out with the popular crowd and Temari was Goth, they were still best friends. Sakura had the prickly feeling of owing Temari. Especially since Temari had just rescued her from a boy who had been harassing her. No one messed with Temari. They knew she was tougher than nails.

But Temari didn't need help. Sakura wanted to do something nice for her but no one could think of anything. She was just about to ask Temari if there was anything she wanted. All Sakura needed was the guts to ask.

She opened the door. Temari was sitting on her bed facing the wall. Her blond hair was pulled back into four ponytails. It had black streaks near the ends. Sakura couldn't see her face. She was wearing a black tank top with netting sleeves. She wore ripped black jeans. Sakura greeted her enthusiastically.

"Hey Temari! What's up?" Temari turned to face her friend. Sakura's eyes got wide. The black eye makeup that she was wearing was smeared with tears. "What's wrong? What is it?" Temari almost never cried.

"Its my family." Sakura's eyes widened even more. She knew nothing about Temari's family. Temari always shut up the moment someone asked her about her family. "Tsunade-san was talking to the therapist when I went in." They all went to weekly appointments, Temari's was about three hours earlier.

"Yeah?"

"They were talking about two boys found in a home in Suna." Suna was the name given to the slums. "The police got a call from a new neighbor saying that they heard the sounds of something hitting something and someone screaming in pain. The police raided the house and found a man and two boys in their teens. The man was arrested and the boys were brought to the ANBU center." ANBU was the Abused, Neglected, Beaten Unit. They took new kids and made sure they were alright. "One of the kids wouldn't talk but the other one identified them as Kankuro and Gaara Sabaku. 16 and 15."

"Mhm?" Sakura asked.

"They were asked if they had any family other than their father. The other boy said they had a sister but they didn't know if she was still alive. Her name was Temari, he said, and she had run off when she was eight." Sakura gasped.

"You?" Temari nodded.

"That's what Tsunade-san thought too. She asked me if I knew them."

"Do you?" Sakura prodded. "Do you have siblings?"

"They are my family." Temari started sobbing again. "My little brothers. I ran off and left them behind since I couldn't take them with me. My mom died a long time ago and my dad was abusive. He must have gotten much worse since I left." She buried her face in her hands. Sakura sat down on Temari's bed next to her.

"Tell me." She said comfortingly. Temari looked up.

"Alright."

**Please review. Remember, review make me happy. I promise to read every review sent. Reviews are loved to death. I dance around my bedroom when I get one. No joke. **


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own Naruto, ok

**I don't own Naruto, ok? Stop rubbing it in. **

Chapter 2

"I'm the oldest of three children." Temari said quietly, "A year after I was born my younger brother, Kankuro was born. Our parents were happy and loved us both. Then our mom got pregnant again. The baby was born early and mom was in a lot of pain during delivery. She was screaming out curses against the world, against the unborn child who was hurting her. Then she died right after the baby came out. That was my baby brother, Gaara." Sakura looked across at her friend. She put a hand on her shoulder and hugged her.

"Keep telling me." She said, "I want to know this." Temari nodded.

"Father hated Gaara. He blamed him for mom's death, saying horrible things about him. That he didn't deserve to live. Eventually Gaara learned to shut that out so he started to physically abuse him. He beat Gaara from when he was only four years old. He was already small from his age and then father started to starve him. It was killing Gaara. It was all too much for a little child to take. The constant pain of physical wounds, the torture of emotional ones. He stopped being able to sleep from the fear of father hurting him then. He used to huddle in the corner of his tiny room that was more like a cell, covered in blood and sobbing. Sometimes Kankuro and I would go in there and try to comfort him."

"Then what?" Sakura asked, captivated by the story she didn't know about the person who was like a sister to her.

"Father found out that we tried to help him. He lashed out and struck Kankuro. In that moment I think he realized that he had two more victims right in front of him. He started to hurt us too but never as bad he hurt Gaara. I tried to protect him. I told him to do what father said and never speak back. I diverted attention to myself." Sakura looked at Temari.

"You were brave." She said.

"I couldn't watch him sobbing helplessly.You wouldn't be able to if you had seen him. His face when Father was hurting him, or when he was crying because of the pain, was the saddest thing I've ever seen in my life." Temari said. "He hurt Kankuro and I a lot. But he still hurt Gaara really bad. The worst was when Gaara was only six. He was drunk and really angry. It was Gaara's birthday, the day mom died. He took an knife and carved the kanji for love into Gaara's forehead. Kankuro and I weren't there so we couldn't help him. Gaara must have screamed in pain and father told him to be silent. Gaara had to obey. He bit down on his lip so hard it bled but he didn't cry out. When we got home father was ordering Gaara upstairs to his room. He would have struck us too but we went through the back door up to Gaara's room. He was shaking and his whole head was covered in blood but he didn't speak. We cleaned him off as best we could but there was so much damage done. The next day father came after me with a knife when he caught me trying to sneak food to Gaara. That was the last straw. His knife cut my arm and I ran out the door and far away." She pulled up her sleeve to show a long, jagged scar on her shoulder. "I never went back. As I was running I heard father yell that if I didn't want my brothers to die I would never tell anyone. And I haven't."

Sakura put a hand on her friend's scar. "It's a deep wound." She said solemnly.

"I know," Temari responded, "That's what the orphanage told me when they found me a week later with an infected gash, scars all over and half starved. They took me back and tried to find out about my family but I didn't tell. So I lived here. I was still really nervous all the time. But by the time I was in eighth grade I wanted to at least help one person. So I watched my class and I watched the school. And I noticed a girl who flinched when she was spoken to. I noticed you. So I became friends with you, trying to atone for deserting my brothers. And I spied on you and read about verbal abuse until I had a definite case. Then I told Tsunade-san." Sakura smiled at her friend.

"Thanks." She said.

"Not a problem. But even having you move in and become my friend wasn't enough to save me from my guilt and depression. I couldn't help but remember my siblings. So I wound up being labeled as Goth. At that point I decided, 'What the hell, I may as well be Goth. No one messes with Goth kids.' It worked. So that's the whole story up until now when I found out that they had found Kankuro and Gaara. I'm going to go see them as soon as I can calm down." Sakura gently hugged her friend.

"Is there anything I can do?" She asked a sobbing Temari. Temari looked up.

"There might be." She said.


	3. Chapter 3

How do you like my story

**How do you like my story? Leave a review and tell me. **

Chapter 3

"You know how you're training to be…" She trailed off.

"What?" Sakura asked. Temari took a breath.

"Therapist, counselor, psychologist."

"Yes?"

"Maybe you could… As a favor…"

"Do you want me to try to help them?" She asked.

"Mainly Gaara. I'm really worried about him. He's probably been taking most of the abuse. Kankuro seems to be fine to the ANBU except for his nervousness about fast movements and wounds. He won't talk about what happened though. But Gaara isn't talking, he just sits there motionless. The only time he moves is to eat and when someone comes into the room or moves near him. Then he flinches. He needs help and I don't think I can help him. I haven't seen him in nine years. I ran off and deserted him. There's no way he'll trust me. But you're his age and you're learning to help people."

"So basically you want me to go and try to help your brother?"

"That's right. Please?" She looked up with pleading eyes. Sakura knew she had the chance to help her friend and someone else.

"Of course I will." Temari's face lit up.

"Thank you." She said fervently. "I'll clean up and then let's go." Sakura nodded.

"Sounds good."

"My idea is to see Gaara first. If he lets me talk to him then I'll stay there. If he doesn't let me talk to him then I'll go see Kankuro. Then can you stay with Gaara?" Temari asked hopefully. Sakura nodded.

"Sure."

"Thank you." She said again.

"You helped me, this is paying you back. I owe you." Temari hugged her before grabbing other clothes and going over to the small bathroom. As she waited for Temari to come out, Sakura put a few things in a bag. She took a notebook, a pencil, a pencil sharpener and an eraser.

Temari came out a few moments later. She was wearing a black long sleeve shirt and nicer black pants. She had washed her face and put on waterproof makeup. Sakura hugged her as she walked over to the door.

"Lets go." Temari said quietly.

"Alright." Sakura said. They walked out the door to their room and Sakura shut it behind them. They walked down to Tsunade's office. She was sitting in there.

"Are you going now, Temari-chan?" She asked kindly.

"Yes, Sakura is going with me. Is that alright?" Temari asked.

"That's good. So you two know the way there?" Sakura nodded.

"We do. We'll be back in a few hours. Five at most." Tsunade nodded and patted Temari on the head.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart." She said, "Never forget that we're here to support you always." Temari nodded with tears in her eyes. She and Sakura walked out the front door of the orphanage leaving Tsunade behind them.

"Poor kid." She said softly, looking at Temari, "I hope seeing her brothers doesn't hurt too much. She's already been through enough pain."

Sakura and Temari walked in silence until they came right up to the ANBU building. Despite efforts to make it more cheerful, an aura of sadness permeated. Temari opened the door and she and Sakura walked inside. The woman at the front desk was known to them both. Her name was Anko and she ran the ANBU center along with Kakashi Hatake who also worked at their school. Anko smiled at them.

"Are you here to see them, Temari?" She asked. Temari nodded.

"What rooms are they in?" Anko consulted a paper.

"Kankuro Sabaku is in Room 15. Gaara Sabaku is in Room 20. Please be careful with them. Especially with Gaara." Temari and Sakura nodded and walked up the stairs to where the patient rooms were. As they walked down the hallway to Room 20, Sakura could feel Temari getting nervous. Finally they stopped in front of a door that said Room 20. Temari knocked and, getting for no response, pushed it open. Sakura looked in and was horrified by what she saw.

**Review please**


	4. Chapter 4

Angsty chapter

**Angsty chapter. You have been warned. **

Chapter 4

The room was plain like all ANBU rooms. There was a simple dresser with the top covered in antibiotics, bandages, and other medicine, a plain chair against the wall, and a bed. On the bed sat a boy. His red hair had obviously not been cut for a long time and hung over his eyes. He heard them open the door and tensed up, wrapping his arms tighter around his knees.

"Gaara?" Temari said quietly. "It's me, Temari." Gaara didn't look at her though he stiffened at the mention of the name, Temari. A tear leaked down Temari's cheek. "Gaara, I'm so sorry." He didn't move. Sakura looked at her friend.

"Temari, calm down. He's scared right now. He hasn't seen you in nine years. Follow me." Temari tore her eyes away from her silent, unmoving younger brother.

"What should I do?" She said with a hint of desperation in her voice.

"'Stay calm." Sakura instructed her. "Walk over to him slowly and sit in the chair. Gently tell him that you're sorry for leaving him. Tell him that you want to make it up to him." Sakura hoped there would be a reaction even if it was anger. Temari obeyed. She pulled the chair out from the wall and sank down in it. She looked at Gaara's unmoving figure. She couldn't see his face.

"I'm so sorry for leaving you and Kankuro." She said, a catch in her voice. "Please forgive me. I want to make it up to you." He did nothing. Temari looked appealingly at Sakura who walked over to her. "He's not listening," Temari said, sobbing quietly. "What can I do? I'm a horrible person, this is all my fault. I ran off and he wound up like this." Her hand gestured to the boy. Sakura glanced back at him. He was significantly underweight and the unwrapped part of his arms were covered in scars that looked every bit as bad as Temari's. Through his hair she saw green eyes. They were ringed with black, showing that his sleeping habits hadn't changed since Temari ran off. She shivered slightly. Even she, who lived in an orphanage, had never seen that level of despair in some one's eyes. She knew that Temari wasn't kidding about Gaara taking the brunt of the abuse. He seemed to be broken past what she could handle.

"Sakura?" Temari's voice startled her.

"Yeah?"

"You were saying..." Sakura was embarrassed.

"Sorry," Temari shrugged. "This is going to take a while. I don't think he's going to open up to you right away. Go see Kankuro. If he is really better off then when he is better he can help Gaara. He's probably the only other person who knows what Gaara went through." Temari nodded.

"Alright." She walked back toward Gaara, who stiffened. "I'm going to go right now, Gaara. I'm going to see Kankuro. I'll come back, I won't abandon you again. I promise." There was no sign of him having heard. Temari looked at him for another moment before turning to Sakura. "He's badly off. Worse than I remember. But there are a few things about him you need to know. 1) He hates to be touched. It makes him think of father and he thinks you're going to hurt him. 2) Don't ask him how he's feeling. He won't reply. 3) He hates rapid movement. It makes him think about the abuse he suffered. 4) Don't pretend in front of him. He always knows when you're lying. I'll be back soon. Thank you." She hugged her friend. With another glance at Gaara, she walked out the door.

Sakura sat down in the chair. She set her bag on the floor next to her and waited.

"Hi, I'm Sakura." She said, faking a cheerful tone. She remembered Temari's warning. She took a moment and made the tone more gentle. "Your sister is one of my best friends. She saved my life once. I want to help you, I promise I won't hurt you." He ignored her.

She took a moment to study the boy before her.

He resembled Temari but had a thinner frame and red hair. His arms were wrapped in bandages and mottled by terrible scars. They were also unnaturally thin and pale. Even for someone lightly built he was way too thin. She could see the outline of his bones through the bruised and scarred skin. He looked like the personification of suffering and death. Like a living skeleton. Sh wondered what sort of life, if you could call it that, he had before he was rescued. The scar Temari told her about was visible on his forehead. It looked deep and Sakura imagined how much it must have hurt him to have that carved into his head. From the neck of his shirt she could see still worse scars on his neck, continuing down his back. She realized that she needed to see what his back looked like. She spoke to him again.

"Can I look at your back?" She asked. He paid no attention so she assumed she was allowed. She walked quietly over to him and lifted the back of his shirt. It was almost enough to make Sakura, who wanted to be a therapist, throw up.

After she got over the desire to throw up, she felt anger. Who had the right to do this kind of damage to a child? His back was crossed by raised ridges of scars from being whipped, from being hit by something heavy, and from being burned by something again and again. She couldn't tell if it had been a cigarette or a metal rod, heated up. Which ever it was, there were marks of it all across his back. This was more than just abuse, this was torture. He had been tortured to the edge of death repeatedly but was still alive. It was a testimony to the strength of the human spirit. She let his shirt fall and went back to her chair. She looked at his face and found herself crying. There was nothing of the child in Gaara's face, nothing of the carefree teen either. It was only sadness and grief. In a way, she supposed, he was mourning the loss of his own innocence, childhood, and future. He couldn't move on. Sakura doubted that even Tsunade-san, the best therapist, would be able to help this one damaged child. Sakura thought grimly, I'm thinking of him as a child but he's my age and if suffering ages you he would be the oldest person on the planet. She reflected and came to the conclusion that perhaps he didn't want to talk. She pulled out the paper and wrote a message down on it. "Hi, I'm Sakura. You can trust me. I promise." She put the paper so he could read it. He moved his head a little to see it then looked away with emotionless eyes.

**Poor Gaara. Poor me, with you reading and not reviewing. I'm shameless in begging for reviews. Humor me. **


	5. Chapter 5

This story's going well

**This story's going well**

Chapter 5

"So, this is Kankuro." Temari said quietly. "Kankuro, this is Sakura. She's the friend who I told you about." The boy nodded. He looked like both his siblings except he had brown hair instead of red or blond. He too was a little underweight but a week at the ANBU center had helped him. There was something almost hunted in his eyes but on the whole he seemed to be more normal.

"Nice to meet you." He said. "You've been talking to Gaara? How's it going?" There was concern in his voice.

"Not very well." Sakura said truthfully. "He won't talk. He will nod or shake his head when I write a note but that's it." Kankuro looked both hopeful and depressed.

"I'm just amazed he'll even do that. I should have known that just getting him out of the house wouldn't be enough to get him to talk." He trailed off into worried silence.

"When was the last time you heard him talk?" Temari asked sharply. Kankuro flinched slightly at her tone. "I'm sorry." He looked back at her.

"It's ok, Temari. It's not your fault I'm like this." He took a deep breath. "You probably heard some of his last words. The day he got that scar," he touched his forehead, "He stopped talking. I haven't heard him say anything since. Not even cry or anything." Temari looked appalled.

"He hasn't said anything since father ordered him to be silent?" She said angrily. "Nothing?" Kankuro nodded.

"Nothing. Even when father isn't there. He just looks evasive and frightened like he's begging you not to push it. He was terrified, barely got enough eat, no sleep. Every day I was surprised he was still alive after all that." Sakura's brain was working. She decided that to lighten the mood she should tell them the good news.

"Hey, did you know your dad's in prison with out bail?" She said. Kankuro grinned vindictively.

"He deserves it. After what he did to Gaara, he deserves that and worse. I hope they never let him out." Temari nodded.

"He must have gotten so much worse since I left, didn't he? To both of you?" Kankuro nodded.

"That's true. He got so much worse." He shivered. "But that's over, over." He repeated the word like he was trying to convince himself of that fact. Temari and Sakura both noticed.

"And what happened to you two after Temari left?" Sakura asked. Kankuro, who had seemed fairly normal, suddenly went silent. He had been sitting on the bed with Temari next to him and Sakura had a chair drawn up so she sat near the bed. Now he retreated slightly so that he was in the corner. He drew up his knees.

"I'm sorry," Sakura apologized, "I didn't know you didn't want to talk about it. I won't ask again." Kankuro lifted his head and moved forward a little. Temari gently put an arm around his shoulder and he leaned in closer. She hugged him comfortingly. He looked at the penitent Sakura.

"Sorry," He said, "I just don't want to think about it. I already have nightmares from it, sleeping is a challenge. But Gaara can't sleep at all." He paused, "Please help him." He said quietly. "He's gone too far for me or Temari to help him."

"He's right." Temari added. "He only ignores me when I come in and they won't let Kankuro visit." Sakura nodded.

"I should go see him soon." She said. Temari nodded.

"In a moment." There was a sad note in her voice that made Sakura look at her. Temari grinned and pointed down. Kankuro was asleep, leaning against his sister. He looked peaceful. "Wait a moment longer. It's easier to have you here. He and Gaara used to do this when they were little." She choked back a sob. "It brings back memories." Sakura looked at her with compassion. She sat down next to her friend. Temari smiled. "Thank you for staying. It's just so hard to realize that they aren't the innocent little kids I remember. They used to look up to me for protection and now..." She sighed.

"And now?" Sakura asked, wanting her friend's opinion.

"Now Kankuro takes care of himself and Gaara too. At least he tries to. He's grown up a lot, hard and fast. As soon as he gets out of here he'll be able to take care of himself. He won't need me to support him, because I wasn't there when he did need it. And then there's Gaara."

"Yeah," Sakura added, "Then there's Gaara." Temari sighed again.

"I don't know what happened. Nine years ago he would hug me and tell me that he loved his big sister. He'd ask me to tell him a story. I was like his mom. Then now he's silent. Won't talk, won't acknowledge that I'm even there. The carefree child died and now there's an empty shell left behind." Sakura nodded again.

From Temari's other side, Kankuro whimpered in his sleep. He felt Temari's arm around him and cried out quietly. His breathing got faster. He was having one of the nightmares he told them about. Temari freed one of her hands and put it on his forehead. He shied away like she had hit him. Sakura stood up. She walked to Temari's other side and gently shook the sleeping boy awake. He whimpered again.

"Please father, no."

"Kankuro, wake up. You need to wake up." Sakura said. Temari added her entreaties also.

"It's just a nightmare, you'll feel better when you wake up." He cried out again.

"No, stop, please!" Temari released him and jumped up. There was always a glass of water on the dresser. She ran back with it and poured it over Kankuro's head, effectively waking him up.

"Wh-what's going on? Where am I?" He said nervously.

"ANBU center. You were having a nightmare," Temari told him, quickly filling him in on all the details.

"I'm sorry, I can't control my nightmares. I have them all the time." He said.

"It's fine, I think I'd better go see Gaara." Temari nodded.

"Good luck."

**Review**


	6. Chapter 6

Longer chapter, there's a big revelation at the end of the chapter… it changes the story

**Longer chapter, there's a big revelation at the end of the chapter… it changes the story. Forever, or should I say 'Eternally'? **

Chapter 6

There was a voice coming from Gaara's room. It wasn't a voice that Sakura recognized. It was a shrill, bossy, female voice that seemed to be ordering someone around. She listened more closely.

"Come on. You need to come out of this room. Come on." The voice said. "Why won't you just listen to me? This is for your own good. Now stand up." The voice sounded impatient. "Move." Sakura could imagine the person throwing their hands into the air. There was a slight rustling of blankets. The person in the room breathed out heavily in annoyance. Sakura peeked through the door.

Gaara, still not looking at anything except the floor, was huddled even more into the corner. He was shaking and terrified. What Sakura noticed next shocked her. The nurse had her hand on Gaara's wrist and was trying to make him stand up. She was tugging on a part of his arm that was wrapped in bandages. She thought of the things Temari had told her. Gaara hated to be touched.

The nurse tugged on his arm again. The end of the bandage came off. She tugged again and the entire bandage came off his wrist. His wrist was covered in half healed wounds. Before the nurse could put her hand on his arm again, Sakura slipped into the room.

"Don't touch him." She said firmly. The nurse turned. She was a new recruit obviously. She had strangely styled red hair and wore glasses. She evidentially thought she was very attractive.

"Why? He needs to go outside of his room. He won't go on his own so I have to make him." Sakura took a few quick steps across the room.

"Look at him. You just pulled the bandages off his arms. He's frightened. Do you have any idea what you did to him?" The nurse shrugged.

"So he cuts himself and is afraid of the consequences. So what?"

Sakura took an angry breath. "You fool. His father abused him. You say you work here? Get out." The nurse shrugged again and stepped out of the room. Sakura knelt in front of Gaara. "Gaara, are you alright?" He continued to stare at the floor. Sakura inhaled again. Usually he would nod or shake his head when she spoke to him. He still never looked at her. He was motionless. She stood and sat down on the bed. He continued to stare at the floor.

Sakura took the bandage off the floor and re-wrapped it. He moved slightly as it touched his skin but she was careful not to touch him more than was absolutely necessary.

Now she had to find a way to explain to Temari why Gaara's progress had been set back to the level it had been at when she had first seen him here.

"A nurse tried to make him come out." Sakura said, trying to gather her thoughts into a good idea. She shook her head. "Won't work. Temari will find the nurse and rip her apart." She paused. "Something happened while I was gone. I don't know what." She shook her head again. "That won't work, Temari will hate herself for making me stay when something was happening to her younger brother." She looked down at Gaara. "What would you do?" She said softly.

There were two positive signs. One, Gaara still reacted. He wasn't all gone, yet. She shivered. She'd have to do her best to prevent him from become 'All Gone'. The second sign was that he was recovering. It was only slight movement at first. Then he relaxed his grip on himself and lowered his arms to his sides.

His fingers twitched. A thin hand reached out and touched the wood of the bedside table. Sakura took the moment to study him again. He still looked like he did when she had first seen him. He had the same haunted eyes full of sadness. He also was still underweight, though he had gained weight, and covered in scars. His hair still hung into his face. But despite all this Sakura still thought that there had been improvement. He wasn't as motionless and his face on occasion showed some emotion.

"Will you ever talk to me, or to anyone?" She asked him again. He twitched slightly and one green eye met hers for a split second before looking back down.

"Will you?" She didn't expect an answer. Just the sight of his troubled eyes told her that he was slipping away from all help. Slipping away from the world of the living.

His fingers twitched again against the wood. They lightly touched the edge of the notebook that sat there. His fingers ran over the first words written there. 'Hi, I'm Sakura. You can trust me, I promise.' They lingered on the word trust. Trust was just one more thing that had been lacking in his life. The other hand joined the first on the table. It moved to the pencil that sat beside notebook. He picked up the pencil while still looking at the floor.

Sakura held her breath.

His other hand picked up the notebook.

Sakura kept holding her breath.

He put the notebook in his lap.

Sakura quietly drew in her breath again.

He gripped the pencil and moved it across the paper. It formed words. Messy but there. One word really.

'Sorry'.

Sakura exhaled. He was communicating. This was a milestone.

"It's alright." She said, "Do you think you'll ever talk?" There was a pause. Then the pencil moved again. It formed more words. Sakura stayed still, afraid to break the spell.

'I don't know' In that moment Sakura realized that Gaara Sabaku would never speak again.

**So Gaara-coon will never speak again? Sad, huh? Did you see it coming? The story is called 'Eternal Silence' after all… Tell me in a review. That's right, I'm still begging shamelessly. **


	7. Chapter 7

The last chapter… maybe

**The last chapter… maybe. If you think I should then tell me so. I've got 2 ideas. **

Chapter 7

"Come on, both of you." Temari said cheerfully, standing at the doorway to her brothers' room. It was a month later and both Gaara and Kankuro were now at the orphanage. They shared a room like Temari and Sakura did.

Gaara was the first to come out. His hair was cut and his arms were healed but scarred permanently. He wore long sleeves to cover them. The backpack he always carried was on his back. It contained papers saying his name, address and certifying that he was in fact, mute. It also had his most important possession, his notebook. The notebook was his way of communication. He carried it always and wrote in it. He pulled it out now and wrote a message to his sister. 'I'm ready'. She smiled.

"I'm glad." She turned back to the room. "Kankuro, are you coming out soon?" She called gently, afraid to frighten him as well. There was the sound of the water shutting off then the bathroom door opened and a fully dressed Kankuro stepped out to take his place beside his sister. Sakura joined them as they grabbed food to go, Gaara and Kankuro both hesitating before eating, and headed out the door to school. Tsunade-san had already enrolled them in school and warned the teachers about treating them kindly.

The school bell rang and startled Gaara. He quickly relaxed however when Sakura reassured him it would be alright. Together, they stepped away from Kankuro and Temari to go to their classroom. They were met at the door by the teacher.

"So you're Gaara?" He asked kindly. "I'll explain to the other students that you don't talk soon, ok?" Gaara nodded and pulled out his notebook again. 'Thank you' He wrote. The teacher nodded and sent them to their seats.

During lunchbreak, all four of them stood together. Kankuro was eating and not really talking. Temari was busily doing her homework for the next class. Sakura was busy reading and Gaara was, after all, mute. Fact remains that there wasn't much in the way of conversation until a certain duck-ass-haired idiot showed up.

"Hey, Sakura, Hey Temari." He said. He knew both of them well. Temari nodded to him. He glanced at Gaara and Kankuro. "Hey." He said, trying to be friendly. "I'm Sasuke."

"Hello." Kankuro said quietly, "I'm Kankuro." Gaara reached for his notebook again. He opened it.

'Nice to meet you' He wrote, 'I'm Gaara.' Sasuke looked confused. He hadn't heard about Gaara not talking.

"What's wrong with you?" He asked. "Why are you writing instead of talking?" There was a silence that was both shocked and angry.

'I don't talk.' Gaara wrote, 'I haven't since I was six years old.'

"I've never heard his voice." Sakura added. Sasuke looked disdainful.

"Freak," He muttered. Gaara looked at the ground. Sasuke looked at Temari, "What's with the angry look, Goth-Girl?" Temari scowled. "It's a freak convention," Sasuke added rudely. "All three of you are freaks." He had crossed the line. Sakura and Temari, who hadn't had their will to fight crushed by abuse, stood up.

"That's enough, Sasuke." Temari said in an icy tone.

"Shut up and leave now before you cause anymore damage." Sakura added. Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Do any more damage?" He asked. "None of you have probably ever had anything bad happen to you. You're normal like me." Sakura raised her voice.

"That's it, Sasuke." She said loudly. Temari cut her off in a tone that would freeze a volcano.

"Seriously, why do you think Gaara doesn't talk? Why do you think we're covered in scars and Gaara has a mark that someone carved into his forehead with a knife? Why do you think Kankuro flinches when someone moves suddenly? Why do you think I'm Goth? And Sakura too. Why do you think she used to cringe when someone spoke harshly to her? You don't understand anything." The unexpected light of awareness dawned in Sasuke's eyes. It was beginning to become apparant that these four had lived through things he hadn't even imagined.

"What happened to you?" He asked, turning to Gaara. Gaara wrapped his arms around himself and looked down at the ground. Sakura sowled at Sasuke. The black haired idiot reached out a hand to put it on Gaara's shoulder when, SMACK. Temari hit his hand away.

"Don't." She said firmly. Sasuke turned to Kankuro.

"What happened to you?" He asked again. He froze up and looked down at the ground. Sasuke was struck by how much the brothers resembled each other.

"I can't talk about it. All I want to do is forget." Kankuro said, in the same quiet tone he usually spoke in. Sasuke now turned to Temari and asked her. She shook her head.

"I ran off when I was eight. I don't know. I can't talk about what happened to any of us. Besides," She gave him the patented 'Temari's Evil Smile That Bodes Ill For Everyone', "If Gaara or Kankuro told you their story you'd be having nightmares. Kankuro already has nightmares. Gaara has severe, chronic insomnia." Her brothers looked at her indignantly, annoyed that she was sharing their secrets. She laughed. Sasuke turned to Sakura, the final one in the group and asked her. She answered similarly to Kankuro.

"I'm trying to forget. Temari saved me from my family. One thing you didn't know. We all live in the orphanage. Temari's been there for nine years. I've only been there for 4 years. We don't really talk about this stuff." Sasuke nodded and walked off. Gaara pulled out his notepad again and wrote. He showed it to Sakura. It said 'Thanks, I can't stand people who think they know everything." Sakura hugged him gently. And, to the surprise of both of his siblings, he allowed her to hug him. Sakura, who had broken him out of his shell and gotten him to communicate again, was the only one who could physically touch Gaara.

**So, what's the opinion? Do you want me to write more? I can write ten years in the future with some GaaraxSakura-ness or I can write the trial of Gaara's dad. Since I'm lazy I prefer the future one. Tell me in a review. (I could just leave the story here…) **


	8. Chapter 8

Ok, you people asked so I'm writing more even though my conditions haven't been met

**Ok, you people asked so I'm writing more even though my conditions haven't been met. Thanks for the support. Also, Repentant Moon and What Hurts the Most don't have reviews… that means that you should go review them. **

**I don't own Naruto! Last I checked, this was a FANFIC!**

"You, Kaze Sabaku, are accused of multiple counts of abusing your three children over the course of eleven years." The judge announced. The whole court turned to look at the man sitting behind the defense attorney. He was dark haired and in his forties. He scowled at the entire courtroom.

"Council for the prosecution, please make your opening statements." A woman stood up and walked to the desk.

"Hello, I am the attorney prosecuting in this case. This man," She gestured at him, "is guilty of repeatedly and deliberately abusing his three children, Temari, Kankuro and Gaara. Through out the trial we will endeavor to show you that this man has committed criminal offences."

Gaara, Kankuro, Temari and Sakura sat in the witness gallery. Temari scowled down at the man, her father.

"I hope he rots in prison." She muttered darkly. Kankuro nodded, but with a shade more fear.

"Me too." He turned to look at his brother. Gaara was shaking uncontrollably. He was staring at his father with an expression of terror on his face. Sakura caught Kankuro's meaningful glance and put an arm around Gaara's shoulders. He flinched and looked up at her. He took his notebook from his bag and wrote 'I'm frightened just being near him.'. Sakura hugged him a little tighter.

"Its ok. He can't get you."

"Gaara?" He turned to Temari. "Is the court allowing Sakura to read what you write as testimony?" He nodded. 'After Tsunade-san told them I was mute.' He wrote.

"That's good." Kankuro said in his typical quiet voice. "We've all got to testify. I just hope its enough to get him locked up." Temari smiled reassuringly.

"Of course it'll be. There's no way he'll get off the hook for all the things he did to you two."

The defense attorney stepped up as the prosecutor stopped talking.

"Hello, I'm the attorney for the defense and I am here to convince you that this man," He gestured at him, "is innocent of the charges brought against him. Through out this trial I will bring forth witnesses to prove that this man has in no way harmed any of his three children."

"He's an idiot." Sakura said fiercely. "He pled innocent?" Temari nodded.

"Father thought the world would rearrange itself for him. Its going to tough for him in prison."

"I hope it is." She responded. "He should have pled guilty. What kind of witnesses can he bring?" Kankuro shrugged.

"The prosecutor said they'd probably bring his friends and stuff. We've got a case for that. Some of them helped him abuse us." He glanced across to the defense witness gallery where only two men sat. "Yep. I recognize them. That man," He pointed at a blond man. "Gave me this." He pulled up a shirtsleeve to show a group of scars. Gaara merely pulled up the front of his shirt a little to show scars on his stomach. 'Same here.'

"Does he even have a case?" Temari asked. "He has two witnesses who could be prosecuted also. That it?"

"I bet." Kankuro said quietly. "He doesn't think that he can lose." He glanced at his brother. "Besides, a lot of our case relies on Gaara and my testimony. He doesn't know that Gaara's communicating and he thinks I'm too scared to testify against him. He's wrong. I'll see him in prison whatever it takes."

"The prosecution may begin to call up witnesses." The prosecutor smiled up at the witness gallery.

"The prosecution calls Temari Sabaku to the stand." Temari smiled at them and stepped down and out into the witness box.

"Alright Temari. Please describe your family for me. Including personalities." Temari nodded.

"Ok. I'm the oldest child. My mom died in childbirth and my dad had custody of all of us. My brother Kankuro is a year younger than I am. He's a bit shy now but he wasn't always. He was the second victim of my father's hatred."

"Please continue."

"Then there's Gaara. Gaara's a year younger than Kankuro. Gaara's abuse started at age four. He used to come to me when he was covered in blood from our father. He's really shy and doesn't talk. And then there's my father." She shot a dark glare at him. "He supposedly loved our mother and he was really upset when she died. He blamed Gaara for that. He's cruel, manipulative and hates to lose. I believe he got pleasure out of beating us, but especially Gaara. I also believe to him it was some sick form of revenge." Her glare darkened another few degrees.

"Alright. Can you describe what happened to you?"

"My father began abusing me when I was seven. He had struck Kankuro for helping Gaara and he realized he had other victims. He came after me with a knife on multiple occasions and with a belt on several more. This continued for a year."

"Can you show the court your scars?" In answer Temari pulled up her sleeve to reveal the scar on her arm. She turned and pulled up the back of her shirt to show some scarring across her back.

"Thank you. Can you explain how you got free?"

"I was eight years old, Kankuro was seven and Gaara was six. Kankuro and I were out of the house. We came back as father was ordering Gaara upstairs. We snuck upstairs so that he didn't see us and beat us too. We found Gaara in horrible condition. Father starved him and so he was massively underweight. His lip was bleeding from where he had bitten down on it while being 'Punished'. My father had taken a knife and carved the symbol for 'Love' into the forehead of his six year old child. Gaara was silent from that day on."

"We'll hear details about your brothers from them."

"The next day I tried to sneak food to Gaara but my father caught me and came after me with a knife again. He cut my arm and I panicked and ran for the door. I got out and as I ran I heard him yelling that he'd hurt me and kill my brothers if I ever spoke a word of what had happened. I was living on the streets for a week before I was rescued. I was taken back to the orphanage with an infected gash on my arm, malnourished, starved and all scarred up."

"Thank you. We may question you further later." Temari nodded and moved back to the witness gallery. "The next witness will be Dr. Tsunade."

**Hmmm. What will happen in Tsunade's testimony. Do you think their father should be let off? What should his sentence be? I'm leaning toward about 60-70 years if I can realistically lock him up that long… Review please! This story will be updated about once every three days. **


	9. Chapter 9

Here's chapter nine

**Here's chapter nine. Can you believe Eternal Silence has gone on that long?**

**I don't own Naruto. (Sobs uncontrollably) Noooooooooo…**

Dr. Tsunade took her place at the witness stand. She was neat, efficient and calm. She glanced around the courtroom to see what kind of impression Temari's testimony had made. The jury were whispering and looking shocked. The rest of the court was glancing at Temari and then at her father with a look of disgust.

"So, Dr. Tsunade. You run the orphanage where these three children currently live, correct?"

"I do."

"Please describe your impressions of each one of them." Tsunade nodded and thought for a moment.

"Temari, whose testimony we just heard is a sweet girl. She is honest and kind hearted. In the past, she saved one of the other children, who will also be a witness, Sakura, from a verbally abusive home. Temari doesn't want to be pitied and doesn't want people to see her arms. She's been a great help to me. She hates to lie and never exaggerates. If anything, I believe she would say less than what really happened."

"Thank you. Please continue."

"Then there's Kankuro, the middle child. Kankuro seems to me like he is suffering from trauma from his childhood. He is also a good person and kindhearted. He doesn't like to raise his voice or yell. He flinches when you move suddenly which I believe is an old reflex from being badly mistreated. He seems adaptive and settles in easily. In my professional opinion, it would take a lot to scar him this badly. Despite all this, he is helpful and always is willing to help his younger brother or anyone else. Kankuro doesn't seem like the kind of child who would lie."

"Continue."

"Then Gaara." She permitted herself a sad smile. "From what his sister tells me as well as what I guessed from his behavior, he appears to have been the worst abused. When I first met him, two weeks after his rescue, he was recovering from malnourishment and starvation. As a doctor, I have examined his scars and come to the realization that they are the culmination of years of abuse. The scars appear to be a month old up to eleven years old and of varying deepness. There is no evidence that any of these wounds have ever received treatment." A shocked gasp ran around the courtroom.

"Silence. Let the testimony continue." The judge ordered. The courtroom fell silent once more.

"Gaara is a good child and not prone to violence, lying or anything like that. He has been very badly treated, such is evident by his behavior. He is shy and reserved. New experiences are unsettling for him." She nodded.

"So you are certain they were abused?"

"Positive. All my professional experience points clearly."

"Thank you. Now, do you believe that their father was in fact, their abuser?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because, owing to their mother's death, there is no one else who could have done these things to them. Also, each of them have informed me that it was their father. The stories match, there is no other way that is remotely possible. Therefore, their father is the one who mistreated them."

"I see. Thank you for your testimony. We may have more questions later." Dr. Tsunade stepped briskly from the box and back up to the witness gallery.

"The next witness I would like to call," The prosecutor said, in a ringing tone, "Is Anko Mitarashi."

**Ooh. Short chapter. I want the reviews though. What do you expect from Anko's testimony? What did you think of Tsunade's? What would you put their father's chances of being let off as? 100 percent? Zero percent? **

**Ok. You've got about two days before this story is updated. In that time, go read and review What Hurts the Most and Repentant Moon. Do you want another chapter or do you want the story to end here? Thought so.**


	10. Chapter 10

Here's the new chapter

**Here's the new chapter. I hope you like it. I might write again tomorrow. Thank ally1313. **

**Disclaimer: Sheesh. I'm a FANFICTION writer. **

"The next witness I'd like to call is Anko Mitarashi."

"Anko-san?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Yeah. Why Anko-san?"

"She was there when we were rescued." Kankuro said quietly. "At least I think that was her name."

"Black hair, dark eyes and a tough appearance?" Gaara nodded. 'That sounds like the woman.' He wrote.

"Its her." Temari confirmed.

Anko stepped up. She stood at attention. Her black hair was up in a bun. She was wearing the typical ANBU uniform.

"Anko Mitarashi? Correct?"

"Yes."

"You work at the ANBU Center?"

"I do."

"And you were one of those who responded to the call that led to the arrest of Kaze Sabaku and the discovery of two of these children?" Anko nodded.

"I was."

"Please tell us about what happened."

"Alright. We got a call from a woman called Konan Akatsuki and we responded. The call stated that she had heard the sounds of something being hit, though the weapon was unknown, and the sounds of someone screaming in pain. The neighborhood where this occurred was Suna where we happen to know, many crimes occur." She coughed discreetly.

"Continue."

"We, myself and two others, one of them a policeman, responded to the call. We hurried over and were shown the house in question by Mrs. Akatsuki who, with her husband, Pein, had just moved into the neighborhood. We heard the sounds of violence within and decided it was an emergency situation. We already had a warrant for the arrest of the person perpetrating this attack, if it was proven to be such. We knocked, then getting no response, knocked the door down."

"I see."

"We raced into the house. The inhabitant apparently heard us coming since he was alone when we entered the room. He only appeared to be alone. A closet door swung open and revealed these two children huddled inside, with open wounds that were dripping with fresh blood."

"Go on."

"We didn't hesitate to question the children who identified themselves and confirmed our theory of their abuse. They were taken into custody and their father was arrested. The children were taken back to the ANBU Center."

"Please describe the condition of the children."

"Alright. Kankuro Sabaku was bleeding from a deep wound to the shoulder and another to his lower arm. He was shaking and afraid but was the one answering our questions. His brother, Gaara Sabaku was in much worse condition."

"Please tell me about his condition."

"Alright. In my professional career, I have never seen a case of abuse this bad. In addition to severe scarring, he was bleeding from deep cuts on his arms, back, shoulders, head and legs. These wounds, like his brother's, appeared to have been caused by a knife, which is evidence I believe."

"Please go on."

"There were also wounds caused by a heavy object, identified as a broom, on his back and then there were others."

"What others?"

"Wounds that were caused by a heated metal rod. The rod in question was in the room, still warm. It is evidence also. These wounds were across his back." She sighed. "They were severe. Gaara did not speak to us but his brother stated that he was mute and had been for years. He simply looked at the floor with an expression of wonder. The expression faded to shock with in an hour."

"I see. Is that all?"

"Yes except that I would like to see justice done to these three children. Their father deserves jail time." With that final remark, Anko stepped off the stand. She walked briskly up the stairs to the witness gallery.

The court was in an uproar. The jury were whispering, the judge was looking after Anko thoughtfully and the Prosecuting attorney was smiling. She sent a look across the isle to where Kaze Sabaku sat with his attorney. The look said clearly, 'You are going to lose. Badly.'

Kaze returned the glare with interest but his attorney looked slightly crushed. He knew that he would have to work extremely hard to convince the court of his client's proclaimed innocence.

Kaze leaned forward to whisper into the ear of his lawyer. The man frowned. His client looked threatening. The lawyer stood.

"Your Honor. I believe that last statement was unlawful. It is an unnecessary statement." The judge arched an eyebrow.

"Objection overruled. That was relevant. Part of the purpose, as you know seeing as you went to Law School, is to share their opinions. Please **think** about your next objection, Defence." The attorney bowed his head and sat. The prosecutor looked triumphant. He looked crushed. Kaze Sabaku leaned forward again and appeared to be hissing angrily in the man's ear. The man looked tired as he leaned back to respond to his client's accusations of in competency.

Temari smiled.

"That got him." She said smugly.

"It did." Kankuro and Sakura agreed in unison.

'Who gets called up next?' Gaara wrote. Instantly they all became speculative and thoughtful.

"I wonder." Temari said.

"I bet it's the Akatsuki woman." Kankuro said.

"That does sound likely." Sakura agreed.

'I think so too.' He wrote.

They were right.

"Proceed." The judge ordered. The Prosecutor shot a victorious look at the Defense attorney.

**How'd you like the chapter? Do you think that Kaze's chances got better of being locked up? What do you think of Anko? I like her. She's got guts and a soul, unlike some of the other Kunoichi, (Ino). She should appear more. **

**Note: The person who sends the 25****th**** review to this story gets a one shot written for them. If they are a Sasuke fan then… sorry. If they are a Sasuke Hater I will write a story with an OC of them who has a pet Sasuke. The pet will be Sasuke who got transformed. He could be a dog, kitten, Cockatoo (You know he looks like one) or a pink unicorn. If you are the 25****th****, say what you want in the review. You know you want to see Sasuke as a pink Unicorn. Heh, Incentive. **


	11. Chapter 11

**. Here's the new chapter. Sorry about the weird technicalities with the last one. **

**Don't own. Do I have to keep doing this?**

"Konan Akatsuki?"

"Yes." The dark haired woman nodded politely. She stood on the stand, looking calm. Her hair was pulled back into a bun. She wore a black shirt with red clouds on it and a pair of black slacks. She was looking around the packed courtroom with a little bit of nervousness.

"You moved into a house right next to the family in question?" The prosecutor asked. This was merely a formality. The entire court knew that she had or she would not be here now.

"Yes."

"How long ago?"

"A week before I called the police."

"I see. Now, can you tell us what you heard?"

"Of course. That's what I'm here for, right?" She said nervously. "I was unpacking in the kitchen when I heard something. I heard what sounded like something wooden hitting against something. I thought that sounded like something hitting human flesh so I kept listening."

"Yes?"

"Then I heard another sound. The second sound was someone, someone young, screaming in pain. I also heard a voice yelling for silence, more sounds of violence and then more screaming."

"Thank you. Now, what did you do from there?"

"I called the police. I kept hearing the screaming and I was really worried. I know someone who was a victim of abuse and I didn't know what to think. I called the police while I was standing at the window, trying to see into the house where the sounds were coming from."

"Is that all?"

"Basically. Then the police came pretty quickly."

"And you told them that?"

"Yes."

"And they did what?"

"They immediately went onto my neighbor's property and I saw them knocking on the door."

"You did not accompany them?"

"No. I didn't. There wasn't any need."

"Did you know your neighbors at all?" Konan Akatsuki considered the question for a moment.

"Not very well." She said slowly. "I knocked on their door earlier that day and talked a little to them but that was it."

"Who did you talk to?" The attorney asked.

"All three."

"What did you discuss?"

"I just told them I was moving into the neighborhood. Mr. Sabaku told me that in that neighborhood they liked their privacy and I was to leave him and his sons alone. He then slammed the door in my face."

"Was that all?"

"No. As I was walking back, both of his sons came out after me. The older one, who introduced himself as Kankuro, told me that their father had a bit of a temper and that he wasn't in a very good mood."

"Did the younger child, Gaara, say anything?"

She shook her head. "No."

"I see. Did their behavior make you think that something was wrong in their family life?" Again, she shook her head.

"Not really. But they did act kind of unusually. They kept glancing over their shoulders back toward their house."

"Did anything else happen?" The lawyer asked.

"Well, their father showed up and told them both to come back into the house. They were both kind of nervous when he showed up. He told me to get off his property right away so I did. I saw him and his sons walking back to their house. Then about a half an hour later, I heard the noises that I told you about."

The attorney asked her for her impression of the family.

"The two kids seemed nice but a bit shy. I don't really know what I thought of their father. I kind of thought he was like the controlling father type. I didn't realize that it was something so serious. I did notice his kids were afraid of him."

"I see. Is there anything else you want to add?" Konan shook her head.

"She saved your lives, you know." Temari told her brothers from up in the witness gallery. "If she hadn't heard that…" They nodded.

"I know." Kankuro said quietly. "I already thanked her."

'Me too.' Gaara wrote. 'She did save our lives.' Sakura put an arm around his shoulders. He smiled a little.

"That was nice of you."

"It was." Temari agreed.

"We owed it to her." Kankuro stated. Sakura took the moment to glance down at Gaara where he leaned against her.

She frowned. His eyes were frightened.

"What is it, Gaara?" She asked.

"Yeah, what's wrong?" His sister asked, instantly concerned.

'I'm just nervous around father.' He wrote. He turned the page in his notebook past all the conversation snatches recorded there.

"Its alright." Sakura reassured him. He opened to a fresh new page, one that was blank and ready for use. He put the tip of the pencil to the paper.

'I know. He just scares me and looking at our situation from an outside view…' He wrote.

"It does feel weird." Temari agreed.

"Yeah." Kankuro added.

"Sakura?"

"Yeah, Temari?"

"You're testifying soon aren't you?" Sakura sighed.

"Next, in fact."

"Good luck. I think they're calling you up in a few seconds."

"Oh." They all looked down to see Konan Akatsuki leave the witness stand and the prosecutor turn to face the witness gallery.

"The next witness is Sakura Haruno." She said.

Sakura gulped.

"I'm up."

**Next chapter, Sakura's testimony. Then its Kankuro, then Gaara… After that we get to see defense witnesses and then they get to question each other. Interesting… How will Sakura act on the stand? Review and find out! **


	12. Chapter 12

**. Oooh. Important testimony. Sakura. What's she gonna say?**

**This is the last time in this story that I write a disclaimer. Who actually thinks that its remotely possible that I own Naruto?**

"The next witness is Sakura Haruno."

Sakura gulped.

"I'm up."

"Good luck." Temari told her, throwing an arm around her shoulder. "Go out there and tell the truth like you did at your custody hearing."

"I will."

"Good luck." Kankuro told her softly.

"Thanks Kankuro."

'Good luck.' Gaara wrote. Sakura put an arm around his shoulders for a moment.

"Thanks."

She stepped out of the witness gallery and walked down the steps to the floor level of the courtroom.

All three siblings watched her go.

"Will she be alright?" Kankuro asked quietly.

"She'll be fine." Temari reassured. "Sakura's tough." She glanced at Gaara. "I'm concerned about you two."

'We'll be fine.' The youngest child wrote quickly.

Temari noticed the tremble in his hand.

"Sakura Haruno?"

Sakura took a deep breath.

"Yes."

"You are a friend of the Sabaku children, correct?"

"Yes."

"Can you explain how you met them?" The woman who was prosecuting asked in a kind voice.

"Ok. I was living in a verbally abusive home until sixth grade. I was starting in middle school at Leaf Middle School. One of the eighth graders started being kind to me and became my friend. That was Temari. She researched verbal abuse so that she knew the legal terms. She was living at the orphanage. She found out that I was verbally abused and she told Dr. Tsunade about it."

"Continue, please."

"Alright. Once my parents lost custody of me, I went to the orphanage. Temari and I share a room there still. We became friends but she didn't tell me about her family. I've seen some of her scars but never the big one on her shoulder and she always got nervous when I asked about them and said that she got them on the street. I kinda knew that it wasn't true."

"I see."

"Then one day, she found out about Gaara and Kankuro and she told me about her family. We went to the ANBU center and I met both of them. Once they left the ANBU center they joined us at the orphanage. We've all been living there. Gaara and Kankuro never told me what happened to them in the nine years since Temari ran away from home but I know that it was extremely bad. I've seen some of their scars from it and they're not pretty. A lot of them make Temari's look like nothing."

"I see." The woman glanced at the defense team. "What were your friends' reactions when their father was mentioned?"

"Different. Temari gets angry instantly. She doesn't want him near her or her brothers ever again and she hates him for what he did. She's been safe for nine years but when I first met her, she got pretty nervous."

"And what about Kankuro and Gaara?" She asked.

"Kankuro goes withdrawn and quiet when ever he's mentioned. The only times its different is when there's a chance his father will be locked up. Then he gets slightly happy but still pretty nervous."

"Gaara?"

"Gaara stops communicating." There was a slight hiss from Kaze. It appeared that he didn't know about the fact that Gaara was communicating and it threw a wrench into his plans. "He withdraws and gets like he was when I first met him. He's gotten better and he only does that when he's reminded of how helpless he was back then. Now he just gets really nervous and really frightened."

"I see. So, please describe what you know about their living conditions." The courtroom was surprised with a sob from the witness.

"All I really know is what Temari told me and what I inferred from their scars. They've got horrible scars." A tear slid down her cheek. "About a week after I met Kankuro, Temari talked him into showing us his scars. They're really bad."

"How bad?

Sakura sniffed. "Really bad. There're some burns and then there's some knife scars all across his shoulder blades. Its really sad."

"Is that all you've seen?"

Sakura shook her head sorrowfully. "I wish. I've seen Gaara's back and that's even worse."

There was a gasp from the defendant. He evidentially hoped that the horribly scarred back of his youngest son would go unnoticed. Just that was enough to get him convicted of abuse.

"Please describe."

"The first time I saw his back was when I met him. I pulled up the back of his shirt because I'd seen bits of the scars on his neck. I almost threw up, they were that bad." She sniffed again.

"What did they look like?"

"His back is basically all scars. They're all the things that Anko-san said they were and worse. Its his whole entire back. Its not even flat, its got raised ridges all over it from being beaten so badly. Just looking at his back-" She broke down crying. "Its horrifying because you know that these aren't wounds that were exaggerated with effects like makeup. This is the real thing and he was just a kid." Her sobs echoed around the silent courtroom as her tears flooded her face.

"I see this experience affected you greatly. What is your opinion of the mentality of the person who inflicted these injuries?" Sakura looked up, her face full of anger. She practically spat the words at the defendant.

"To do this kind of damage to _kids _you've got to be heartless. No one with a heart could be able to beat their children to oblivion like they've been beaten. The person has to be a sadist and like blood. They have to like the suffering of others. The sadistic, heartless jerk who did this deserves to be locked up for life!" She said.

"I see." The prosecutor nodded. "Thank you. Is there anything else you want to add?" She said.

"Of course." She addressed the words to the whole court. "I'm upset about this and I know the defendant is going to say that its fake. But its not." Her voice got louder. "None of you saw the look in their eyes when they were frightened. None of you saw the helplessness and despair in Gaara's eyes when I first met him. He looked like death warmed over and like he'd been through hell. No one could fake that. If you'd seen it, you'd understand."

The prosecutor cut in smoothly at this point.

"Thank you. The photos where Kankuro and Gaara are exhibiting these expressions are evidence." She flashed a look at the defendant.

"Good." Sakura hissed at the defense as she stepped off the stand. "The world has to see those."

**How'd you like it? If you're reading this, please review. It reminds me that people like my writing. If you've reviewed an earlier chapter, then please review again… I love reviews!! Next up is Kankuro! And then the really interesting one! Gaara!! **


	13. Chapter 13

**. Ok. I know you're excited. I might write again tomorrow. **

"The next witness will be one of the children who were not rescued until recently. The witness is Kankuro Sabaku." The prosecutor announced. She looked up at the witness gallery.

Temari hugged her brother tightly. He tensed up slightly though in the end he wound up patting her back awkwardly.

"Its ok." She told him. "Tell the truth and get him locked up. He's not coming back to hurt you anymore."

"I know that. He's just frightening."

"Its in the middle of the courtroom." Sakura reminded gently as she hugged him. "He can't get you."

Kankuro nodded before disentangling himself from the girls. He glanced at Gaara who nodded to him.

"Good luck.'

"I'm going to need it." He agreed. He stepped out of the witness gallery and down the steps. As he passed the defense witnesses one of them gave him an appraising look. Kankuro flinched and bowed his head.

The man laughed slightly and said something quiet to the other man, a black haired man who laughed coldly.

"This is hurting him." Temari sniffed, breaking down. "He's frightened." She put an arm around Sakura's shoulder and sobbed into it.

"Its alright." Sakura reassured her.

'Kankuro's stronger than you think.' Gaara wrote. 'He's tough.' Temari looked up at him with her eyes full of tears.

"I'm worried about you too." She whispered quietly. "Can you handle it?" There was no reply.

"It'll be alright, Temari." Sakura hastened to say. "They'll be fine." But she hugged both Temari and Gaara tightly as if afraid to let go of them.

Kankuro stepped up to the stand and glanced out at the sea of faces in the crowded courtroom. There was the reassuring face of the prosecutor, the supportive faces of Temari, Sakura and Gaara, the kind faces of Anko and Tsunade, the concerned faces of classmates, and then there was his father.

His father's face promised revenge if he testified against him. His father's face promised pain like he'd never known before. And with a flick of his eyes toward the witness gallery, Kankuro realized with a chill that this pain was promised to Temari, Sakura and Gaara as well.

He took a deep breath. If he testified, and Gaara did as well, his father would be locked up. His father wouldn't be able to hurt him. If he didn't testify, and his father was acquitted, he could be given back to his father.

"Kankuro Sabaku?" The prosecutor asked kindly. He nodded, not trusting his own voice to speak with out fear.

"I don't really know how to phrase this but. Were you abused by your father?" She said, looking straight at him.

Kankuro breathed in. It was the moment of truth.

"Yes." He said, in the most confident voice he could muster. "I was."

His father scowled viciously but Kankuro didn't care. He had a feeling of power, like for once in his life his father couldn't touch him. The prosecutor smiled at him and continued.

"Alright. When did the abuse start?"

"When I was seven. My father struck me for helping Gaara when I was five. He was already hurting," He paused. "No, abusing Gaara and he realized that he had two other victims to hurt."

"I see. What kind of abuse was inflicted on you?"

"First it was just a hit if I messed up. Then it was deprivation of food. Then it was a hit with something like a book, or broom. Then it became slash with a knife when I was about," He considered for a moment, "ten."

A shocked gasp pulled itself from the throats of all the people in the courtroom except for Kaze who glared at his son.

The phrase, _If looks could kill,_ ran through Kankuro's head for a second as he caught his father's eye.

He continued, emboldened.

"This was nothing compared to what he was doing to Gaara. The first time he attacked Gaara with a knife, Gaara was six."

The whole courtroom gasped even louder. He glanced up at the witness gallery to see Temari smiling at him. Sakura nodded.

"I see. What did your father use to hurt you?"

"His fists, his feet, a heavy hardback book, a broom, a knife." He shrugged. "Mainly a knife and his fists."

"Was this still occurring at the time of your rescue by the ANBU?" He nodded.

"My father was, and still is a sadist. There was nothing that we did that would make him stop."

"I see. And your brother was still being abused as well?"

"Of course. If my father was hurting me, then there's no way that he would leave his favorite target alone. He got the most pleasure out of hurting Gaara. I think it was a twisted form of revenge for him."

The prosecutor glanced at Kaze.

"Your father hurt you for what? What caused him to abuse you at any given time? What was the trigger?" Kankuro shrugged.

"There wasn't one. He'd just come home mad and strike us or when something bad happened to him or when he just felt like it or when we messed up on the littlest thing. Sometimes he'd come across something of our mother's and would get mad. Sometimes he'd just think that we needed to be reminded that he was the supreme authority in our family."

"Was there any time of the week or month or year that it got especially bad?" She asked. Kankuro nodded.

"Yeah. On Thursdays and on mom's birthday. When mom's birthday was a Thursday, it got even worse."

"Any reasons why?"

"Thursdays because he always had a lot of work then and he relieved his stress by proving to himself that he had power over someone, two people's, very lives. He always reminded us of that."

"And your mother's birthday?"

"Because he wanted Gaara to suffer for taking her away from him. He wanted to punish Gaara and a lot of the time when he started hurting Gaara, I'd get involved too. Then he'd hurt us both."

"I see."

**There's another chapter with Kankuro's testimony. Then on to Gaara's. Arent you excited? **

**Note: If you don't like Angst and you're actually reading this, you might want to stop now. Remember, I warned you. **

**Review! It makes me update faster. If I feel really loved, I might even update again today!**


	14. Chapter 14

**. More Kankuro testimony. **

"Did your father ever appear to feel any amount, however small, of remorse for what he was doing to you and your brother?"

The courtroom was shocked by a hiss of anger from the normally quiet and reserved witness.

"My father, remorseful?" He scoffed. "My father took **pleasure** in beating us. He never felt an ounce of remorse for what he was doing."

"So there was no remorse?"

"Never."

"I see. Your opinion of your father please?"

The court got another shock as Kankuro hissed in fury again.

"A sadist. Someone who likes to make others suffer for no reason. Calculatingly cruel and manipulative. Selfish as they come."

"You hated your father then?"

"Like I've never hated anyone before. I hated him for all the things he did to me and Gaara."

Kankuro glanced across at his father who gave him a meaningful glance. Kankuro cringed slightly.

'That's not good.' Gaara wrote, a frown on his face.

"What's going on?" Sakura and Temari asked in unison.

'He used to give us that look whenever he was going to hurt us particularly badly.' Gaara informed them.

"That isn't good." Temari agreed.

"He's frightened." Sakura commented worriedly.

"Kankuro?" The prosecutor asked.

Kankuro looked up. His father smiled grimly and drew him finger along his throat. Kankuro gulped.

"Kankuro?"

He pulled himself together.

"Yes?"

"What's wrong?" Kankuro glanced at his father again who was looking confident that he had succeeded in stopping his son.

Kankuro gulped.

"Will he be alright?" Temari asked, her hands a death grip on the arms of her chair. "I'm worried."

"He'll be able to." Sakura said uncertainly.

"Are you sure?"

'He will.' Gaara wrote.

They all stared down at Kankuro who was on the verge of speech.

"My father." Kankuro said bravely.

"He did it." Temari murmured.

"I'm so glad." Sakura said.

'He's brave, you know.' Gaara wrote. 'He's always been brave.'

"What about him?" The prosecutor asked encouragingly, as she glanced at Kaze with a look of curiousity.

"The look he's giving me right now means that he intends to hurt me." The court all turned in the direction of Kaze.

He tried to wipe the expression off his face but couldn't get it off in time. A murmur of 'Shocking,' 'Cruel,' and 'Sadistic' spread through the courtroom. Kaze glared at everyone.

"He's busted for good. He couldn't stop looking like that in time." Temari murmured victoriously.

"There's no way he can get away with it." Sakura agreed.

'You're right, probably.' Gaara wrote. 'But father's pretty good at worming his way out of things. He did it for years whenever people thought there was something that wasn't quite right with Kankuro and my home lives.'

"He won't do it this time." Sakura told him.

"He won't." Temari agreed.

"Silence." The judge ordered, although they were looking rattled themselves. "Let the prosecutor continue."

"Please tell us more about this." She asked.

"He used to do that whenever my brother or I displeased him and he wanted to punish us badly. He also did this," He drew a finger across his throat. "As a symbol for the fact that we would be begging for death. He did that now."

Kaze scowled at his son.

From up in the witness gallery, Temari scowled at her father.

"That jerk." She muttered darkly, "Trying to scare Kankuro out of testifying. If I get half a chance, I'll rip him apart."

"Not if I do it first." Sakura promised.

"As long as I get to tell him as it happens that the helplessness he's feeling is like what Kankuro and Gaara felt." Temari compromised.

"Deal." Sakura agreed.

"Good." They both looked down at Kankuro.

"Kankuro, can you tell us about how your father made you feel?" The prosecutor asked sympathetically.

"He made me feel helpless." Kankuro snarled. "Like there was nothing I could do to stop him."

"I see. Did he have the same impression on your brother?"

"More. Gaara was and still is terrified of him."

'I am here, you know.' Gaara wrote, disgruntled.

"It's alright to be afraid of him." Sakura told him, hugging him. "He kinda scares me too."

"And your father knew that he frightened you and used this?"

"Of course. If you knew my father like I did, you would know that he relished being in power."

"Over just you two or over everyone?"

"Everyone. A girlfriend broke up with him once because he was too controlling and manipulative. He took that one pretty hard. He broke both of Gaara's arms and one of my wrists over that."

"I see."

'I remember that.' Gaara wrote. 'She was pretty nice to us most of the time.'

"There's one more thing that I'd like to ask you, Kankuro." The prosecutor said.

"Sure."

"Will you show that court your scars?" The question hung in the silent air. Kankuro nodded.

"Ok."

He reached up and pulled his shirt off. He turned around. The courtroom all gasped, appalled, at the sight of the scarred back of the sixteen year old boy.

**A bit angsty, neh? Was it good? Gaara's up next. Review!! I command you. **


	15. Chapter 15

**. Gaara's up… excited?**

**Bold Typed. You'll understand later. **

'I guess I'm up next.' Gaara wrote, largely unaffected by the sight of his brother's back since he had seen those scars a thousand times, had seen them inflicted and bore worse himself.

"Yeah." Sakura said.

"Will you be alright, Gaara?" Temari asked him in concern.

'I'll be ok, I guess.' He wrote.

"I hope so."

Sakura put an arm around Gaara's shoulders and hugged him tightly to her as if she was afraid that he would be lost to her forever if she let him out of her grasp even for a moment.

'Its alright, Sakura.' He wrote.

"Are you really sure?" She sobbed.

'Yeah.'

"Thank you Kankuro." The attorney said.

Kankuro turned back around and pulled his shirt back on, once more covering his scarred back and arms.

"The next witness is the last one. Gaara Sabaku." She announced.

'Guess I'm up.' The boy noted.

"Good luck." Temari told him again.

'Thanks.'

"It'll be alright, Gaara." Sakura told him. "Your father won't be able to get near you ever again."

'I certainly hope so.'

He stepped out of Sakura's embrace and began to walk down the steps.

The man who had laughed at Kankuro leered at him threateningly. Gaara, for once in his life, raised his head and returned their stare. The man looked surprised. He leaned over to talk to the other.

"Good luck." Kankuro said as he passed his brother on the stairs. "Just make sure you tell them what happened." He put an arm around his brother's shoulders.

Contrary to normal, Gaara didn't react terribly. When something either really bad or really important happened, he allowed his brother to touch him.

Kankuro removed his arm.

'Thanks.' Gaara scrawled on the notebook before continuing on his way to the witness stand.

He glanced out at the courtroom. His father was looking angry to the extreme. His face was twisted with fury. He was hissing furiously in his poor attorney's ear. The man was trying to reassure his client but failing.

The judge cleared his throat and all attention returned to him.

"Since Gaara Sabaku is mute the court has agreed to allow him a special way of testifying." The bailiff pulled down a screen. He placed a keyboard in front of Gaara and connected a few wires. The screen lit up with a white light.

"He will type into the keyboard and it will appear on the screen." The judge continued. "Now, please proceed."

The prosecutor nodded.

"Alright, Gaara. I know that this is hard for you but can you tell me if your father physically abused you?"

Gaara typed into the keyboard. As he nervously hit each key, letters appeared on the screen.

**Yes. **

"Alright. So when did this begin?" She asked.

**Physically when I was four but verbally for as long as I can remember. **The court gasped in horror.

"Ok. What form did your abuse take?" Gaara considered for a moment before typing into the keyboard.

**When I was younger than four it was reminding me that I was a monster who didn't deserve life and that I had murdered my mother who died giving birth to me. It was also being starved. Then when I got older it became, hit with his fists. It also became being kicked in the side. Then it became strike with a broom or a heavy hardcover book. **

"Was that all?" The prosecutor asked.

**No. My father also began to whip me with a belt and slash at me with a knife. When I was six, my father carved a kanji into my forehead with a knife. **

He pulled his hair away from the scar. It shone, an eerie white color, against his already pale skin.

"I see. Now, did this occur up until your rescue?"

**Of course. As Kankuro said, our father was and still is a sadist. **

"Alright. The things that triggered his hurting you were the same as for your brother?" She asked.

**Yes. He usually hurt us on Thursdays and on our mother's birthday. He did forget to mention our parents anniversary and on the day that mother died, my birthday. That's when I got the scar on my forehead. **

"Alright. There was no remorse for what had been done?"

**Never. **

"And you thought what of your father?"

**I hated him. I hated him for hurting me everyday and making me feel like I didn't deserve to live. He destroyed my life and Kankuro's. **

"And we've heard your brother and sister describe the incident where your father carved that scar onto your forehead, can you tell us what happened?"

**I haven't ever really talked about it to anyone. Not even to Kankuro, Temari or Sakura. **

A slightly victorious look crossed Kaze's face. He evidentially thought that if Gaara hadn't told them there was no way that he would tell strangers.

Gaara hesitated.

"Will he be able to?" Temari asked.

"I really don't know." Kankuro responded despairingly. "He never told me anything about it."

"Look at that sick look on your father's face." Sakura pointed out in disgust. "It looks like he's enjoying that Gaara won't talk about it."

"Come on, Gaara." Kankuro whispered softly. "Do it."

Gaara's eyes flicked toward them and then at his father. He winced. The look on his father's face got even more triumphant.

"He's not going to." Temari said sadly. "Its too much for him too soon."

Sakura and Kankuro shook their heads.

"Gaara's tough." Kankuro offered.

"He knows that it'll get your father locked up." Sakura said.

**Alright. **

The prosecutor smirked as the triumphant look disappeared from Kaze's face instantaneously.

**There we go. The story of the scar is next chapter. What will happen? Will their father get off? **

**Note: CBreezy13, your idea is good but I don't know! I don't think that jerk is ever gonna get free! He's going to JAIL! Besides, you probably didn't expect it but, I'm kinda a sucker for happy endings. Not like sappy happy but like, Smiling through your tears kind of happy. Who knows though?**


	16. Chapter 16

**. The story of the scar… Sounds interesting. What do you think? The fountain of youthfulness and reviews is drying up! Please help refill it! YOSH! **

**Bold means typed.**

**Alright. **He paused and glanced around the courtroom, lingering on his father's angry face and the supportive faces of his true family, Tsunade, Temari, Kankuro and Sakura, the people who had comforted him when he cried. These were the people who he really was connected to.

Sakura leaned forward.

"I did wonder what happened." She murmured.

"Me too." Kankuro agreed. "I tried asking but he just shook his head and walked away like he didn't want to think about it."

"He wouldn't tell me either." Temari added.

**I was six years old when I got it. My father had already started to "punish" me when it happened. I didn't get much food, a piece of bread twice a day, and was a few years behind in growth. Kankuro was seven and Temari was eight. It was my birthday. **

**They celebrated by sneaking me extra food and trying to keep me out of my father's way. Temari once before that, had protected me from him. He celebrating my birthday by beating me. **

He paused again. There was a sad look in his pale green eyes that was almost regretful as if, despite what his father had done to him, he wished that for a moment, he had been kind.

"I remember doing that." Temari said quietly. "On his fifth birthday, I got in between Father and Gaara." She half lifted the edge of her shirt to reveal a scar there. "I got this but it was worth it."

"I tried the same thing on his seventh." Kankuro commented. "And eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth. Didn't work well though, father just hurt me too. It worked when he did it though."

Gaara continued typing, quickly as if determined to write this before his courage failed him and he couldn't write more.

**They had gone out. They were doing something with a friend. My father had not allowed me to go. I was sitting in the corner of the living room where he was. He was looking at a picture of mother. I was trying so hard to stay silent so that he didn't see me and decide to hurt me. **

An angry look crossed his face.

**That didn't work. My guess is that he saw me reflected in the picture of my mother. What I do know is that, before I could react, I found myself slammed into a wall with my father gripping my throat. **

A collective sniff passed around the courtroom. The defense attorney noted that the sympathy a child was able to get was incredible.

**I didn't say anything as he screamed at me about how I was a murderer and didn't deserve to live. He dropped me to the ground and starting kicking me. I started sobbing and crying loudly. He didn't like that. **

Once again, his gaze lit up with an angry fire as he looked at his father. Kaze glared back at him.

Gaara cringed slightly and continued concentrating on typing.

**He screamed at me to stay silent or I would pay the consequences. I knew from the look in his eyes that he'd kill me if I didn't. I bit down on my lip until it was bleeding. He told me that no one needed to hear the sound of my voice and if he heard me talk to him, I'd suffer for it. My father sneered that I needed to be reminded that no one wanted me to live. He pulled out a knife and pushed sharply on my forehead with it. **

His eyes glazed over for a moment, remembering the pain of that day and his sheer terror. His face was tense.

"Gaara?" The attorney asked quietly.

**Yeah?**

"Can you keep going?" She asked.

He nodded.

**Ok. I didn't say anything or make any noise though I bit almost completely through my lip. It felt like lines of fire were tearing me apart. When he was done, he sneered at me and dragged me up the stairs into the closet he called my room. As he was dragging me, I saw Temari and Kankuro's scared faces at the window. They disappeared before father saw them. **

**He threw me into the closet and I huddled up in the corner, covered in my own blood. Temari and Kankuro snuck in a little later and came up to my room. Kankuro tore up his shirt to make a bandage for my head. With in minutes, it was red. **

**I didn't talk, I was too afraid that father would hurt me. **

"So that's what happened." Kankuro said softly.

"That's horrible." Sakura responded, her vivid green eyes wet and glistening with salty tears.

"Poor Gaara." Temari murmured quietly. "No wonder he didn't talk to us." Her eye rested balefully on her father.

"I know, I want to tear him apart even more." Sakura said.

"When I get my hands on him," Temari vowed, "I'm not going to kill him quickly, I'll make it slow."

"You're vindictive." Sakura commented.

"Really?" Temari raised an eyebrow. "After you heard Gaara?"

"Of course not. Slow and painful sounds good to me." She said.

"Gaara?" The prosecutor asked.

**Yes?**

"Do you feel comfortable showing the court your scars like your brother and sister did?" She asked.

Gaara hesitated.

**I don't like to show them to people. **He typed slowly.

Sakura looked at Kaze. He was looking furious that Gaara had told the whole court, in essential, the whole world, what had been done to him.

"I think that destroyed his case." Kankuro said.

"I think so too." His sister agreed cheerfully. "He's going to have a hard time proving that he's innocent now."

"I hope so." Sakura said, her mind on Gaara. "I wonder if he can actually show the world his scars."

"He told the world what happened to him." Kankuro said.

"I know."

Gaara nodded slowly to the prosecutor, turned around and pulled his long sleeved shirt off his back to reveal the scars it bore.

There was the sound of voices, angry at his father, crying, being sick at the sight of the destruction done to his body.

The gashes had healed but his entire back was streaked and marred by thick, white, twisting, ropelike scars.

"Oh, my…" The defense attorney managed. "That poor, poor child." He said quietly so that Kaze couldn't hear him.

"That concludes the witnesses for the prosecution." The woman said.

"The defense may call up their witnesses now." The judge announced, looking sickened, as the quiet, shy boy turned forward to put his shirt back on and revealed even more scars.

**Sad huh? Poor, poor Gaara. **

**I know that in a criminal trial there's cross examining now and stuff but this is my story! It goes my way! That happens later!**

**If you want to see Kaze go to jail for what he did to Gaara, leave a review! Don't you want to see him in jail for the rest of his life? I do! **


	17. Chapter 17

**. Its been a while since I last wrote. The plot bunnies went into hiding and I started High School. **

**I still don't own Naruto. I do own a Naruto Calendar though. **

"He's going to jail." Temari said.

"I know," Sakura agreed. "Isn't it wonderful?"

"Did you see the judge's face?" Kankuro asked.

"Yeah. Did you see the jury?" His sister said happily.

"They looked sick." Sakura agreed. "Especially when Gaara first took off his shirt and all their horror from his story just got blown away by what he didn't talk about. The young one in the corner threw up. Did you see?"

"Yeah." Kankuro said.

"He's going to jail!" Temari repeated in excitement.

Gaara slipped his shirt back onto his body. It slid down, covering the scars that both covered and defined him. He stepped quietly out of the witness stand and walked softly up to where his sister and brother sat with Sakura.

"Here he comes." Kankuro said, tapping Temari who was staring at her father. She turned around to face him.

"What were you doing?" Sakura asked, "Trying to kill him with your eyes?" She laughed slightly. "It sounds fun."

"Exactly." Temari gave an unpleasant laugh. "Its worth a shot."

"Cool." Sakura offered as Gaara slid into the seat beside her and folded his arms around himself nervously.

'That. Was. The. Worst. Moment. Of. My. Life.' He wrote.

Kankuro raised an eyebrow.

"Really now."

'Except for every day with father.' He amended. Kankuro nodded.

"You've got a point."

Sakura put an arm around Gaara's shoulder.

"Everything's going to be alright." She said. "He's going to jail for a long, long time. If I've got anything to say about it, it'll be forever."

"Me too." Temari agreed.

'I don't know.' Gaara wrote. 'I bet he gets out of it. He gets away with everything, no body cares enough.'

"Gaara." Sakura said, turning a little so he could see her face. "Did you see the reaction of everyone in the courtroom?"

'I don't know.'

"They were horrified." Temari continued. "They wanted father to go to jail forever for what he did. They knew you were telling the truth."

"He's going to jail." Sakura finished.

The defense attorney called the first man up to the stand. He was black haired with a pasty white face.

"Orochimaru." Kankuro said flatly.

"You are Orochimaru Oto?" The defense lawyer asked.

"Yesssss…" The man hissed.

'He always reminded me of a snake.' Gaara wrote.

"Me too." Kankuro shivered. "He frightens me."

"Can you explain how you know Kaze Sabaku?"

"Yesssss. We met onsssse at a bar. We became friendsssssss. And I wassss at hissss housssse frequently."

"Yes? And did you ever see any sign of his children not being well cared for?" The man asked professionally.

"Never. He loved his children. It hurt him ssssso much when the girl ran away from home. That was before we met. The reason he wasssss drinking wasssss he wasssss upset about hissss children. He thought the youngessssst one was hurting himssssself. He sssssaid he cut a scar onto his forehead."

"The scar in the shape of the Kanji for love?" He asked.

"Yessss. He ssssaid he wanted attention.''

"And you believed your friend to be what kind of parent?"

The snakelike man licked his lips thoughtfully. It was a bit alarming to watch.

"A good parent." He hissed. "A bit doting but hisssss children were all he had left after hissss wife left thisssss world."

Kankuro laughed an ugly laugh.

"Father? A good parent?" He scoffed. "Of course _Orochimaru _would back him up. He hurt us too. He liked pain." He tapped his shoulder. "This one's from him not that long ago. Two months maybe."

"So he never in anyway harmed any of his children?"

"That isssss correct. Never even laid a finger on them with the intent to make them even unhappy. He loved hisss kidssss."

"Of course. And what did you think of his children? Were they nice? Did they talk to you? Did they seem happy?"

"I didn't like them much. The youngessssst one wasssss very ssssstrange. He didn't talk much. He sssssseemed to have problemsssss. The older one was polite but very defiant. He sssseemed to take everything for granted. I alwayssss ssssuspected the youngesssst one of hurting himsssself."

"I see. Do you believe that their wounds are self inflicted?"

"Yesssss. I think that the ssssmaller one, Gaara, hurt himssssself for attention and hissss brother too when hisss brother got too close. Gaara alwayssss sssseemed like that kind of persssson to me."

'Hurt my self, did I?' Gaara wrote, annoyed. 'Didn't talk much? He never heard my voice. He tried to hurt me enough for me to scream but I never did.'

"Polite but defiant?" Kankuro muttered. "I was _subservient_. We did what ever father said, with out a word of complaint."

'Father never hurt us?' Gaara wrote. 'Of course he didn't. He never laid a finger on us except to hurt us.'

"You never hurt me." Kankuro muttered. "You got in the way when father came after me." He briefly wrapped an arm around his brother's thin shoulders. "Even when I didn't want you too do that for me."

The defense attorney finished up the examination. He called up the second witness who said the exact same thing over again.

Temari grumbled obscenities the entire time.

"Lies. So many lies." She hissed in annoyance. "Why doesn't anyone one of them tell the truth and just admit it?"

"Because they're evil. Pure evil." Sakura said flatly as the Defense attorney opened his mouth to talk once again.

"We would like to cross question Gaara Sabaku."

'Not again.' Gaara wrote, a look of terror on his face.

Sakura stood.

"I'll handle it." She said.

**Thank you for reading. I'm glad I caught the plot bunnies. I found them by listening the best band ever, Bullet for my Valentine! Waking the Demon rocks! When the angst plot bunnies run, listen to Bullet! They come right back, Bullet is a metal band!**


	18. Chapter 18

**. Hey, whaddya think? Should Gaara be cross questioned? What do you think is going to happen? Read and find out. **

**I'm too lazy to write any more disclaimers. I don't own, you should know by now. **

"I'll handle it." Sakura said, standing up.

"Are you sure?" Temari asked.

"What're you planning?" Kankuro questioned.

"Can Gaara Sabaku come to the stand?" The attorney repeated. The court turned to look up at the witness box where the wrong witness was standing.

"Gaara is unable to testify." Sakura said, her clear, concerned voice ringing throughout the courtroom.

"And why is that?" The judge enquired.

"Because of the strain. Gaara, as you heard every _reliable_ witness say, was mistreated for a long time by his father. He never told people anything about his scar, not even his brother. Now he told the world out of a need to see his abuser behind bars. He's deeply afraid of his father as is Kankuro. Neither of them can testify because of the crippling effects that fear would have on them."

"_Reliable._" Temari giggled softly. "That was a really good one, Sakura." Her friend nodded earnestly.

"You know it. Those last two were lying through their teeth."

The judge nodded.

"I see." He raised his voice. "Dr. Tsunade?"

The doctor stood.

"Yes?"

"I assume that you are capable of judging objectively if these children are emotionally capable of testifying again?"

She stood a little straighter.

"Of course." She glanced over at them. "I agree with Sakura." Kaze hissed angrily. "Sakura is a capable psychiatrist. I began her training myself. She knows them much better than anyone else. She is right that this experience could cause irreversible mental damage to their fragile stability. They should not be forced to testify."

Sakura sighed in relief.

"She backed you up." Kankuro murmured. "Wow. I didn't think that an adult would ever back a kid up like that."

"She's like that, Kankuro." Temari responded. "She cares about everyone. I remember when she first started working at the orphanage and we all thought she was crazy since she was so nice, nicer than anyone than any one of us had ever met."

"Is this a truthful and objective statement?" The judge enquired.

"Of course."

"We object." The defense attorney said, standing.

"Why?" The judge asked, straightening his glasses.

"Because, as a witness for the prosecution, she is on their side and would of course, want to stop them from being cross questioned."

The judge raised his eyebrows.

"I see. For what purpose would she block their testimony?"

"Because she knows that their account is wrong and she wants to stop us from picking holes in it." The man looked like he didn't believe his own words. His client smirked behind him, up at his children. They held their breath nervously as the judge slowly opened his mouth to offer his judgment.

"Objection overruled." The judge ordered. Kaze was furious. He stood up. The attorney looked at him in panic and pushed him back down where he sat, fuming silently.

He whispered something to his lawyer. The harassed man nodded.

"We would like to call Temari Sabaku to the stand to be cross questioned."

"Can you handle it?" Sakura asked. Temari smirked.

"Of course."

She stepped down and along the corridor to the witness box. She stood straight and tall as she returned the attorney's gaze.

"Temari Sabaku. Have your brothers shared with you the reason that they think the witnesses both think that they were not harmed by their father?" Temari nodded.

"Yes, they did."

"And why is that?" The man asked.

"Because." She said confidently. "These men helped to hurt them. They are my father's friends and also took pleasure in hurting my brothers."

A gasp ran around the courtroom.

"Is this true?" He asked. "Or are you slinging allegations for no reason?"

"True. For example. One of the scars on Kankuro's shoulder, the fresher looking one that runs from his collarbone, was inflicted about a week or two before his rescue by one of your witnesses, Orochimaru Oto."

Sakura smiled.

"What was I thinking?" She said. "Of course Temari can handle this. This is right up her alley. Confidence."

"Why do you believe that these men lied?"

"Because there is no reason for them to be telling the truth. For example. There is a contradiction in Orochimaru Oto's testimony. He said Kankuro was polite but defiant. Kankuro, as he states and Gaara confirms, was completely terrified of his father and afraid to stand up to him. The most he ever did against father's will was to interfere when father punished Gaara. His behavior now confirms that."

"Good one, Temari." Sakura smiled. "Way to go after the contradictions."

"Also." Temari continued. "In his testimony, Orochimaru Oto said that Gaara did not talk much. That was untrue. He never knew me, as he said, and Gaara stopped talking the day _before _I ran away. It is impossible for Gaara to 'Not have talked much'. He was mute by the time that the witness met him."

Kaze scowled at his daughter who smirked.

"My father was grasping at straws when he chose these witnesses. He knew that if Gaara and Kankuro testified or told anyone, that their testimony would be moot. He was desperate. It was a bad idea. Now the truth has come out and I ask the court to not only disregard their lies but to punish them for the horrible things they have done."

"She's in control." Sakura laughed. "She's blasting their case and they can't stop her at all. It would be almost sad if I didn't wholeheartedly agree with everything that she's saying and doing."

"I know." Kankuro agreed. "Temari is a genius. She should be a lawyer when she gets older. She'd be great."

"And," Temari said, turning to the coutroom. "I ask you to remember the story that my brother's told you. My father made their lives hell. They deserve justice. Do you honestly believe that Gaara inflicted those wounds on his own? Of course not. Do you believe that Kankuro simply allowed Gaara to do that to him? Of course not. I ask to court to do justice to two innocent victims and put my father behind bars."

The prosecuting attorney smiled widely.

'_Checkmate.' _She mouthed. '_You lose.' _

**How'd you like that chapter? I know it was Temari-filled but Temari is fun to write about. The plotbunnies love her. **

**REVIEW.**


	19. Chapter 19

**. New chapter. Yay! **

The defense attorney smiled regretfully at the gleeful prosecutor. Turning so his client couldn't see him, he mouthed back at her.

'_I know._' She smiled.

He turned back to his client in time to get a set of orders. Kaze whispered to his lawyer who sighed and looked up at the witness on the stand. She was still standing there, straight as an arrow.

"Temari Sabaku, we have no more questions to ask you." He said almost apathetically. Temari nodded.

She stepped off the stand and back up along the passage to the witness booth. She took a step. _Father was going to jail. _Another step. _Gaara and Kankuro where finally free. _A third step. _Gaara was mute and Kankuro was frightened. _She frowned and glanced up at her family. She kept walking.

"Way to go." Sakura greeted her, throwing an arm around her shoulder.

"That was amazing." Kankuro offered.

'Yeah, it was.' Gaara smiled shyly at her. She felt her heart melt into a little mushy puddle. She had made up for what she had done at last.

"Thanks." She said with a spark of her usual self. "Lets see what they do now." There was a wicked sound to her voice. Sakura giggled.

"Yeah. They're stuck." She laughed.

The defense lawyer stood up.

"We are done with cross questioning." He said. "We have made our point."

They could hear the bluff in his voice.

"They just don't want another dose of you." Sakura smiled widely. "You got them really good, Temari."

Temari laughed.

"I know." She stared down at her father once more, a look of mocking triumph in her eyes. He glared up at her. She did not cringe in terror or draw away. She simply looked back at him. She even mouthed cheekily down to him.

'_If you're good I'll come visit you in prison._' His glared darkened another few degrees. Her smile widened a few degrees.

"What are you doing?" Sakura asked her.

She laughed evilly.

"Telling father that he's going to prison. I told him that if he was good, I'd come visit him in prison." She smirked. "He wasn't very happy."

"Of course he wasn't." Sakura giggled.

"What's going on?" Kankuro asked softly, quietly pointing to the judge who was talking softly to the attorneys.

"Dunno." Sakura replied. "Probably skipping the prosecution cross questioning too." She shrugged. "They want to preserve the feeling that Temari left."

"I think you're right." The girl in questioned mentioned. "Look."

The prosecuting attorney was taking the stand.

"Closing arguments. Prosecutor goes first. It's a re-hash. No witnesses. Just the attorney summing it up."

She was right. The prosecutor opened her mouth and smiled up at the witnesses.

"As you have heard just now, these children have suffered for a long time. They have been starved, told terrible things and been hurt many times. Remember the scars they showed you when you make your decision. Remember how frightened they were?" She held up a set of pictures. "These are them at their rescue. The courtroom strained forward to see the images more closely.

They showed Gaara and Kankuro, huddled together and shivering in a dark space. They were covered in blood and their eyes were haunted.

Another image showed Gaara with his shirt lifted up to show his back. There were bloody gashes and burns along it. His waist was ridiculously tiny.

The next was Kankuro. He wasn't wearing a shirt and was showing his back.

Then Gaara the way Sakura first met him. Staring into nothing and not even shaking his head to respond.

Sakura put an arm around the real Gaara who was shaking.

"It'll be ok." She whispered to him. "You're going to be ok. They just need to show those to let the world know." Still, she held him a little more tightly.

Kankuro looking nervously at the camera made the next shot.

Then Temari when she was first found. Her blond hair looked brown and covered in dirt. Her arm was puffy and swollen.

"I thought they'd put that in." Temari murmured.

The attorney set the pictures down.

"This is what happened to them. It left them with scars all over and and many more internal, emotional scars. Gaara Sabaku is mute from the trauma he has endured. Is this something that happens for attention? No it is not."

She paused.

"Kankuro Sabaku is extremely timid. Is this something that happens because of a younger sibling? No it is not. Their father's friends say that their father suspected that Gaara was hurting himself and his brother. Then why didn't he act on it? It would have been the good thing for his children. Because he was hurting them himself is the only reason."

She paused again.

"Please put this awful man in prison where he belongs. Thank you." She stepped down and back to her seat.

"She did a good job." Temari said happily. "I want to see them beat that. Father's attorney knows he's going to lose."

The man in question stood for his last ditch effort to win the case.

"My client is an innocent man who loved his children and his wife dearly. He would do whatever is necessary to protect his children and make them happy. They were the thing he loved most in the world. He would go to the ends of the earth for them."

"That's good because he's about to go to prison for them." Temari laughed.

"He denies all claims of hurting his children or of his friends doing so. He would have noticed if his children were not doing well. I ask you to acquit an innocent man."

"That wasn't a very good summing up." Sakura said. "He didn't really have anything he could do though."

"The jury may now retire." The judge announced.

The twelve men and women stood up and left.

Sakura held her breath. No one was speaking.

Twenty minutes later they filed back in. The room was silent and still as the grave. The foreman of the jury stood.

"We have reached a descision." He said solemnly. "We find the defendant, Kaze Sabaku…" There was an eager silence as he paused.

**Haha! CLIFFY! Review! What do you think is going to happen? Guilty or innocent? I've got about 3 more chapters of this story. **


	20. Chapter 20

**. It's the moment of truth people. Will he be guilty and go rot in prison or will he be acquitted? No one knows, except for me… Heh. I'm the author, k?**

"We have reached a decision." He said solemnly. "We find the defendant, Kaze Sabaku…" There was an eager silence as he paused.

The courtroom was completely silent. You could hear a pin drop. The silence spread over the entire courtroom like a muffling blanket.

Temari bit her lip. For all her confident words, she was afraid. She knew that her father was guilty but she still trembled. She nervously twirled a strand of her blond hair that had jumped free of it's ponytail around her finger.

"Please let him be guilty." She murmured. "He cant be found innocent, he can't. He'll be back to get us. All of us. It would kill Kankuro and Gaara. They just got away. They can't send us back. They can't." She closed her eyes in her nervousness then opened them and looked over at Sakura.

Sakura tightened her grip around Gaara's shoulder. Her green eyes stared at the foreman of the jury, the man who would decide her fate. And more importantly, the fate of her friends who were closer than family.

"Guilty, guilty, guilty." She repeated. "Don't let him be innocent. He'll kill them." Her arm tightened again protectively. "Gaara was communicating too. He's doing so well. He lets Temari hug him." She glanced down at the top of Gaara's head. "They wouldn't do that." She paused in her thoughts. "Would they? At my custody hearing they took me from my parents for less then this. They have to say he's guilty. Right?"

Kankuro moved closer to his sister. She put her arm around him. He cringed for an instant then a little of his tension melted.

"They can't let him go free." He said softly. "If they do, he'll come after Gaara first. Gaara's testimony was enough. They'll lock him up. Right?" He hesitated. "Or they'll let him go. He gets out of everything. No one would believe some kids." He sighed and leaned in still closer to his sister. "It was nice to see Temari again." He mumbled. "Even if I never see her again. Father's going to kill us." He looked across at his father.

His father looked more nervous than anyone had ever seen him. He licked his lips with quick, furtive movements as he looked at the foreman.

"I'm not going to lose to a bunch of brats." He told himself. "I won't. I can't. I'm not going to lose to my children. They'll see it my way. Then I'll get custody of them and they'll wish they had died." His hands clenched. "I'll kill them. Slowly. They're going to pay for putting me through this. They'll be screaming for me to finally kill them by the time I'm done. I'll come out on top. Even if my attorney has given up and thinks I'll lose." His hands still clenched with more than simply fury. There was tension in every line of his stiff body.

His attorney sighed and slumped lower in his seat. He was resigned.

"I wonder how I can explain this in my resume." He thought. "I lost a case. Perhaps if I explain the obvious guilt of my client." He briefly speculated on the pros and cons of that strategy. "It might work." He glanced at the witnesses. "That Sabaku girl, Temari has a lot of promise. She could be a great lawyer if she wanted to. Maybe I should recommend it to her. Her final statement was brilliant and the way she went after each and every one of our points was genius. Also the way she turned it around from a fact debate to help my client's side to a personal human rights issue for the prosecution with out making it obvious. She's amazing. A little training and she could be one of the best."

Tsunade bit her lip. She knew that they needed this to finally get closure.

"Let him be found guilty." She whispered. "He did terrible things. The world knows that he did. They have to see that letting him go would cost at the lives of at least four innocent children who already suffered enough." She glanced at the young police agent next to her. Anko Mitarashi who worked so hard to protect and rescue children.

"People sacrificed so much to get here." Tsunade said to herself. "We can't let people like him go free."

Anko cracked her knuckles tensely.

"He's going to be found guilty." She told herself firmly. "He's obviously guilty. There's no way he could be innocent. Anyone could see that." She looked at the foreman of the jury. "Why's he taking so long to say it? He needs to just say it. It's too much to leave a pause like this. It should be illegal."

Orochimaru licked his lips.

"If he'ssssss found guilty it'sssssss going to be ssssso difficult to find a drinking friend like him who undersssstandssss my love of children'ssssss sssscreamssss. What a pity. I'll have to start from sssscratch. He'll be innocent though. Little bratssss like that won't win a criminal casssse againsssssst their father. No one will belive it. And I'm going to be able to sssssatisfy my love of blood again." He hissed quietly and licked his lips.

The foreman opened his mouth a little wider and spoke a single word that would change the lives of four children forever.

"Guilty."

The courtroom erupted. People who hadn't realized they were holding their breath let it out in a whoosh. People cheered and stood, clapping and shouting with support for the guilty verdict. The prosecutor smiled. Anko smiled. Tsunade smiled. The defense attorney slumped lower in his seat.

Kaze glared at everyone indiscriminately.

"We won the case!" Temari cheered. "We won! Father's going to jail! He'll be punished for what he did! This is justice!" She stood up from her chair and added her happy voice to the yell of support.

"I don't believe it." Kankuro said in shock. "He's going to jail." He paused for a moment and glanced around him as if to make sure it was all real and not a dream.

"It's all real." Temari told him happily. "You're awake. Father's really going to jail at last and you're really free."

He smiled widely.

"If this is a dream I don't want to wake up." He said as he stood also. Temari laughed, a happy and carefree laugh.

"Its not a dream!" She cried. "Its really happening!"

"I can't believe it." Kankuro repeated. "Too good to be true."

Sakura watched them laughing.

"It's a shock, isn't it?" She said to Gaara who sat, completely and utterly stunned, beside her. "But it's amazing."

'I know.' He wrote. 'I know.' Sakura smiled at him.

"My sentence is sixty years to life in prison for his crimes!" The judge announced to cheers and applause.

"When he gets out, he'll be over a hundred!" Temari laughed. "If he lives that long!" She smiled even more widely. "We'll never have to deal with him again!"

"It's a miracle." Sakura said softly. "This is what a miracle really is." Gaara nodded softly in agreement.

'It is.' He wrote. 'It really is.'

And suddenly, in the world of the happy crowd, it was only them in a world that was for once all wonderful.

Temari watched her younger brother and Sakura kissing.

"Awww." She laughed. "I knew it." Kankuro tugged her arm.

"Don't interrupt." He told her.

She smiled.

"I wouldn't do that to them."

**This isn't the end. There is another chapter… I think. I don't know. What did you think of it? Loved it? Hated it? Didn't really care? Tell me what you thought! **

**If you are actually an Orochimaru fan, I'm extremely… NOT SORRY! I hate Orochimaru! Actually, if you're a fan of him, leave a review about it. I've never met an Orochimaru fan before…**


	21. Chapter 21

**. I'm sorry I took a break. Hey, High School sucks, ne?**

**I don't own. If I did, the show would be called Gaara, or Deidara or Itachi or just plain Akatsuki. **

**Ten Years Later**

"This is Kankuro. Do you have the warrant?" The man spoke into the walkie talkie. The device crackled and sent a reply.

"This is Anko. I got it. On my way." It went silent. The man nodded.

"Got it." He murmured to himself. He glanced up at the house he was standing by. It seemed normal enough but looks could be deceiving. His childhood home, for example, hadn't look sinister, just a little run down and it had been the place where his father had made his life hell. He shook his head. One never knew.

A squad car swung around the corner. His partner jumped out of it and greeted him, her black hair in the same messy bun it had been in when she had rescued him.

"Anko, we ready to go in?" He asked brusquely, staring up at the house. She nodded.

"We're ready." She took a step forward and slung a sisterly arm around his shoulders.

"You sure you can do it?" He looked at her.

"What am I here for?" She nodded.

"Then lets go." They stepped forward, she ahead, and knocked on the plain door. The sound echoed through the quiet.

There was no answer.

Anko tried the handle. It was unlocked. Her partner nodded.

"Lets go." She swung open the door and they raced across the threshold into the house where they could just make out the sound of sobbing.

Kankuro reached the door from which the sobbing emanated first and paused to wait for Anko. There was the sound of a fist hitting flesh, a sound recognizable instantly to Kankuro who had grown up with it. He swallowed and pushed the door open.

A man stood in the room with his back to them. His long black hair cascaded down his back in sickly waves. A young boy knelt before him, no older than ten. He was pale, with white blond hair and reddened eyes. His most unique feature was a pair of twin scars on his forehead. All this was lost on Kankuro as the man turned around.

"Who are you? Why are you in my houssssssssssse?" His eyes widened.

Kankuro froze.

"Orochimaru." He hissed. "Still up to your old games?" The man smirked.

"Yesssssss. Thisssss boy issssss much better than you or your brother." Kankuro ground his teeth. "Jealousssss?" The man laughed.

"You're beyond belief." Kankuro growled. "I thought that seeing my _father_," The word sounded wrung from him, "In prison for sixty to life would have taught you a lesson."

"Well, you have to leave now." The man retorted. "Itssssss not legal. I could have you aresssssssted."

Kankuro scoffed.

"Would we arrest ourselves?" He pointed to his police badge. "I've got the upper hand, Orochimaru."

"Sssssstill not legal, brat." The man snarled. "You need a warrant."

Kankuro paused for a moment to savor this.

Anko slipped across the room, quiet as a snake, to the side of the boy who was looking in fear the two men glaring at each other.

"It's alright, honey." Anko cooed. "I work for the police. We're taking you away from here to somewhere where you'll be safe." The boy widened his eyes.

"R-really?" He whispered. "Are you?" She nodded and patted his head.

"Of course." Her tone stayed kind. "What's your name?" The boy blinked.

"Ki-kimmimaro." He said quietly.

"I'm Anko and the brown haired man is Kankuro." She patted him on the head. "Does anything hurt?"

He nodded.

"My whole body but mainly my arm." Anko glanced down at the obviously broken limb.

"I'm going to wrap that for you." She glanced at her partner.

He nodded to her before turning back to Orochimaru.

"You made a mistake." He said, relishing the words. "Two actually. We do have a warrant. Also, according to the law, police can enter a home where it appears violence is occurring with out a warrant." The man's eyes widened. Kankuro pulled a set of handcuffs from his belt.

"The tables have turned. I'm in the police now, you can't hurt me anymore." He smirked. "Another thing. Temari's going to be prosecuting." The man's eyes narrowed.

"Ssssssscum." He muttered.

Kankuro laughed. "Scum that got free of you." He said. "Hold out your hands." He motioned to the gun at his waist. "I'm armed."

The man sullenly complied. Kankuro clicked the silver bracelets around his wrists.

"Anko? Can you take him? I'm afraid I'll snap and kill him and Temari won't have a chance to prosecute him." Anko nodded and stood up.

"Got it." She tugged roughly on the handcuffs. "Get going."

Kankuro walked toward the boy. He knelt beside him.

"D-do you know _him_?" The boy's tone left no doubt who he was referring to.

"Yeah. Ten years ago. My dad was like him and he used to be friends with him. We hated him so much." Kankuro helped him up.

"You said your name was Kimmimaro, right?" He nodded.

"Y-yeah." He looked shyly up at Kankuro. "Why did you say 'we'?" Kankuro laughed.

"Me and my brother. He used to hit us both and stuff but mainly my brother. You'll meet him later." He picked up Kimmimaro, noting how little he weighed. "We're taking you to Sakura." The boy tugged on his sleeve.

"Whose Sakura?"

Kankuro smiled. "My sister in law." He carried the quiet boy out of the house and into the police car he had come in as Anko sped off with Orochimaru in the back of her car. She flashed the victory sign at him as she rounded the corner.

"Kankuro? Whose this?" A kind voice asked as he entered the clinic with Kimmimaro in his arms.

"A kid Anko and I found on a raid." He told her. "You'll never guess who we found with him. Orochimaru." The woman hissed.

"That scum?" The woman came into sight as she spoke. She was pretty, with delicate features and brilliant green eyes. Kankuro nodded to her.

"Meet Kimmimaro." He said and handed her the boy. She took him and carried him easily into one of the rooms where a red haired man sat.

"Ino!" She called, raising her voice. "Can you come here?" Moments later a bubbly looking blond came into the room. Kankuro smiled at her. Ino Yamanaka had been at the orphanage for a while after her parents died.

"Yes, Sakura?" She asked.

"Case for you." She gestured to the boy in her arms who peered nervously at her.

Ino nodded, instantly businesslike.

"I'm a doctor, sweetheart." She said as she began examining him.

"How's it going Sakura?" Kankuro asked, as he watched Ino examining Kimmimaro.

"Good." She answered.

'Its been good.' Gaara wrote in his notebook and held it up for his brother to see.

"Good to know." He answered. "Kimmimaro, this is Ino," He gestured to the blond doctor, "Sakura, my sister in law, and Gaara, my brother who I told you about." The boy nodded silently.

The door opened and another blond came in.

'Temari.' The red head greeted her.

"Hey." She said. "Anko called me. Get yourself in trouble, baby bro?" She asked, laughing at Kankuro.

He scowled.

"No. Anko and I went on a raid and found Orochimaru," All the faces turned to disgust, "with Kimmimaro here."

"I see." The woman muttered. "Ino." The doctor looked up. "Have you changed the condition of the patient? I need documentary evidence." The doctor shook her head.

"Nope. Nothing beyond the field dressing Anko put on his broken arm." Temari nodded.

"Good." She shooed the doctor a little away and took a camera from her pocket.

"She's scary like this." Kankuro muttered.

'She's family.' Gaara wrote.

"I know."

Kankuro glanced at his mute younger brother's peaceful face, so different from the was it used to look. He always looked half dead back then. Before he met Sakura.

'It's come full circle.' Gaara wrote. 'Time to tell another person." He leaned forward.

"Sure?" Ino asked.

'Of course.'

"Who are you?" Kimmimaro asked, looking at Temari.

"Temari, I'm a lawyer and I'm Kankuro and Gaara's sister." She smiled. "I'm the one whose going to make sure Orochimaru can never harm you again."

**Heh. So I put in Kimmimaro, he's cool. Yes, there will be more. This is probably my longest chapter ever with this story. Be honored. **

**And review. The story is probably gonna end next chapter so don't miss out on your penultimate chance… **

**Oh yeah, thanks to all the people who managed to collectively send me 100 review. I feel loved! **


	22. Chapter 22

**. OMG. Last chapter. (cries)Thank you to all the reviewers! I only got to here because of you. **

**I don't own. (Gloom) FMA joke…**

"H-how are you going to do that?" Kimmimaro asked shyly. "He said I'd never get away from him." Temari scowled.

"Mind games. You think you can't, you don't try. I'm a lawyer." He nodded silently. Temari glanced around the room.

"Sakura?" The woman looked up.

"Yes?" Temari took a moment to consider her words.

"I'm going to need to do a questioning, can he handle it?" Sakura thought for a moment.

"Yes," She said slowly, as if slowness would make it come true.

"Alright." She turned to the boy. "Are you ready?" He nodded.

"Y-yeah." Temari reached into her pocket and drew out a tape recorder.

"I'm going to record what you say. That way I can look at it later and decide how to do this case." She smiled encouragingly.

"O-ok."

"To begin. How old are you?"

"Twelve." He said with out stuttering.

She arched an eyebrow.

"You look younger."

"H-he didn't give me much to eat."

"What did he give you?" Her voice was patient. Sakura got up and sat down beside her husband who silently put his arm around her shoulder.

"T-two slices of bread t-twice a day."

"Was that all?"

"Y-yes." He rubbed his stomach. "I was hungry all the time."

Ino stood up and left the room. Kankuro followed her out.

"And he hit you?" Temari continued relentlessly but kindly.

"Y-yes."

"How much?" He looked at the floor.

"It's ok." Sakura interjected. "I've worked with people for a long time and Temari's good at what she does. He won't hurt you again. Especially since Temari has a personal stake in this." She smiled.

"That's right." Temari said. "You can tell me."

"A f-few times a day." Kimmimaro whispered. "Mainly w-with his hands."

"Did he do anything," Temari paused. "Else?"

Kimmimaro shook his head, horrified.

"N-no." Temari raised an eyebrow again.

"Are you sure?" She turned to her family. "Can you leave for a moment?"

Sakura nodded.

"Of course."

'Yes, Temari.' Was Gaara's contribution as he and Sakura left the room.

"I think she knows." Sakura told him.

'Me too.'

"Something like that obviously happened." She continued.

'Yeah.'

"We should testify when it gets to court."

'Yep.'

"We know him."

'Yeah.' She glanced at him.

"Stop agreeing with me!"

"Yes dear.' She scowled at him.

"Oh shush."

Temari exited the room and stepped into the hallway.

"I was right." She said. "He did do that."

"The poor child." Sakura breathed. "The poor, poor child." Even Gaara was horrified.

'I suspected that but… He never did anything that bad to us.'

Sakura sighed.

"Should we?"

Her husband nodded.

'Yeah. We should.'

"What?" Temari asked, leaning forward.

Sakura whispered into her ear. Temari's eyes lit up.

"Perfect!"

She hurried them back into the room.

Kimmimaro sat up a little straighter. His eyes were red again from tears. Sakura instantly sat down beside him and put an arm around his shoulders.

"Kimmimaro, you don't have a family, right?"

The boy nodded.

"My parents died when I was six."

"Then in that case," She paused.

"We're going to adopt you!"

His eyes widened.

"R-really? You mean it?"

"Of course." She smiled widely. "How does that sound to you? You can live with us. We always wanted a son."

He threw his arms around her.

"T-thank you." He mumbled into her shirt.

She patted his head.

"We hope you'll be happy with us."

She caught Gaara's eye and smiled at him.

'Full circle.' He wrote.

"Yeah." She answered, "Full circle."

Temari slipped out of the room to leave the new family alone for a moment. With her hand on the door, she paused and looked back at them.

Sakura and Gaara sat on either side of the boy, Sakura explaining to him about them and Kimmimaro nodding eagerly.

"A family." She said. "Finally a family."

"Yeah." Came her brother's voice beside her.

She turned. He stood with his arm around Ino.

"Looks like their one big happy family at last."

Temari smiled at him and ruffled his hair.

"And when are you and Ino getting married?" She teased.

Kankuro blushed.

"In another year." Ino said.

Temari laughed.

"We're all getting families! Shika and I are getting married soon too!"

They all laughed, enjoying the moment and the feelings of friendship.

**THE END! Wah! Noooooo. The end. Depressing. **

**Oh yeah. I'm awesome so I'm doing this. **

**If you review this chapter and tell me that you've reviewed all the chapters, I'll write you a gift fic! What ever you want! (Except for SasuNaru. I don't like that pairing. It's only cute in appearance. I hate Sasuke with a passion. He would corrupt Naruto-kun.)**


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